The internet isn’t all good; there are obvious downsides that have been well-documented. However, to believe that the internet is only a force for bad would be to ignore the many benefits that it has brought to the world. Indeed, on balance, it is unquestionable that the internet has had a tremendously positive impact on society, both at an individual and collective level. And this is something that touches all aspects of life. It’s the web that allows you to talk to friends on the other side of the world. It’s the web that allows you to find deals on everything from new laptops to online casinos and beyond. And guess what prevents you from ever spending an evening at home bored? That’s right — the web. Here, we’ll run through the advantages of the internet that many people all too often forget.
Connection
People have always had connections with one another but, in the past, those connections were largely limited to whoever was in your immediate surroundings. Even with the invention of the telephone, you had to hope someone was home when you called. Today, you can speak to anyone, anywhere, anytime. This allows people to stay connected even when they’re thousands of miles apart. It’s a miracle that makes the world a better place.
Convenience
People have been able to stay on top of their banking accounts since the early days of banking, but the process of doing so might take up half a day or more. Need to move money from one account to another? You’d better drive to the bank, stand in line, take care of business, and then be back in time for dinner. Now, you can do it in a matter of seconds, from wherever you are. It turns out you can put a price on convenience — whatever the cost of your monthly internet subscription is!
Deals
Knowledge is power in all areas of life, especially when it comes to deals. How do you know that you’re not paying over the odds for a product or service? How do you check that you’re getting the best available to you? The internet has made it easier than ever to conduct some research and make sure you’re getting the best of the best for everything that you spend money on. There are sites that’ll show you where to find the best deals on electronics, food, clothing, gaming, travel trips, and much more. You’ll have to pay for the internet — but it’ll save you a lot more money than it costs you over the course of your lifetime.
Entertainment
There was charm to living in an era when boredom ruled. But, let’s be honest, it’s better to live in a time when you don’t have to just stare at the wall whenever boredom strikes. You don’t even need to have a laptop to get your fill of entertainment these days. With your iPhone, you can watch movies and TV shows, play games, and look at more memes than you can shake a stick at. Boredom, be gone!
Education
Some people complain that young adults aren’t as smart as they were back in the olden days. In fact, the opposite is true — the average IQ goes up by a few points every generation, and that’s something that has been increasing since the internet became universal. With a few clicks of a button, web users can get the answer to any simple question they want. And if they’re willing to dedicate a bit of their time, they can get in-depth, expert answers to complex issues. Indeed, there is even university-worthy content out there, and much of it is free.
From A to B
Trying to find your way to the next city back in 1700? Best of luck — you’ll need more than a pinch of it to ensure that you arrive at the right destination. Even if you did know the general route, not knowing how long it’d be until you arrived could bring about a whole host of annoying inconveniences. With the world largely mapped by now, you can travel anywhere and everywhere and have faith that you’ll arrive at the right place. It can be fun to go offline and explore without a map from time to time, but it’s always good to know that you can whip out your phone should you take a wrong turn somewhere.
Money-Making
We spoke earlier about how the web can help people to save money. It can also help people to make money. The web has opened up a host of business opportunities that everyday people can explore without having a mountain of capital behind them. As well as business opportunities, the web has also opened up the world of work, allowing people to work from home — or anywhere else that they feel like working from. In this sense, the internet has been an excellent tool for worker power, with poeple no longer having to settle in for a lifetime of office work, or the commute that goes with it.
Access to Help
Life can’t always be good. We all go through bad times and, when you’re going through those bad times, you’ll hope that there’s someone there who can help you. The web has made it possible for many people to access the help they need in a time and space that suits them. There are a whole host of problems that people don’t feel comfortable sharing with their doctor, family, or friends. For those people, the internet can be an invaluable lifeline.
Final Thoughts
As we said at the start of the article, there are plenty of well-known downsides of the web. But sometimes, it feels like those downsides are the equivalent of the nightly news: they don’t tell the full picture. While far from perfect, the internet should probably get more respect than it does. And if you don’t fully believe that yourself just yet, just ask yourself: what would you do if the internet disappeared from your life right at this moment?
