The internet has become a negative force in today’s society. People are using the internet to avoid political issues, waste time on community websites, and waste valuable hours everyday to try and reach that impossible level of the “game of the week” that is inevitably causing high obesity in America’s children. Books have stood the test of time and are now becoming obsolete. The foundation of the internet wasn’t built on games and electronic mail; it was built on a way of doing business, connecting employees and allowing others to see and/or share your work.
Much of the time that is spent on the internet has been time that could, and should, be spent elsewhere, doing something much more important. The internet is a way of avoiding political policy, platforms, and issues. When the television is plastered with political debates, the newly legal voters are running to their computers to escape the madness. People ages 18-25 have the lowest political participation that any other age group in the United States. The youngest legal voters have found a tremendously successful means of avoiding their political duties.
The populace has been foolishly spending time on community sites, chatting to friends, finding new HTML, or playing that new game that is rotting the brains and growing the bellies of our youth. The labor saving technology involved with the internet has increased our use of personal computers, but has reduced daily living related physical activity. This has greatly contributed to the more sedentary lifestyle of the youth.
One dismal outcome of the internet’s popularity is that young people and adults alike are not utilizing books. All the information that the general population formerly received from books is now accessible when people log onto their computer. The internet is destroying our society’s culture and many people do not notice. Books have been around for centuries and we need to preserve them for our nation’s future. Our country is too reliant on computers and the internet. Computers crash. Servers stop. Databases destroyed. Information is lost. The United States should not be so dependent on an electronic device.
I believe that life would be better if we had all lived during the time prior to the internet. We would be out doors more, researching in the library, reading books, playing in the park with friends instead of sitting with my hands glued to the keyboard of a computer. In theory, the internet is a fantastic tool for education and knowledge. With the internet, we have the rapid access to information that we would not have had without the internet. In contrast we also have the rapid access to movies, music, games, and much more. With limits, these are not terrible things, but without limits, we end up with the dire situation of obesity as it is now.
I have one question after reading this post. What are you doing here if you feel this way?
Published Author and Poet
Teacher Education Student.