The Internet

Thinking in terms of today, it's hard to even imagine that there was ever a time when the internet didn't exist. It's become such a huge part of our everyday life that it's all but impossible to avoid. Whether it be for work, for pleasure, for keeping up to date with the news, or for, yes, blogging, the internet dominates every facet of our day to day lives. When I was very young, the internet was in its early stages but was still present. As I grew up, so to did the internet grow into the unthinkably massive aspect of my life. Almost everywhere you go, whether it be coffee shops, restaurants, bars, or pretty much anywhere else you could think of, there's always WiFi available so that patrons can access the internet. At times I often wonder if the internet is a good or bad thing. I question whether or not it's immense influence in our lives is making us less wary of, and able to enjoy, the real world around us. It's especially ironic that social media seems to have made society less social as a whole. We would rather stay in contact with our friends and family via Facebook, snapchat, Instagram, and twitter, rather than actually meeting up with our loved ones face to face. The internet definitely has many negative aspects to it that are worth discussing. As the internet has grown, so have the massive underground institutions that use the internet for nefarious and criminal activities. The black market has found a home on the internet, and criminals are finding new ways every day of how to utilize it for their own sinister goals. It's because of this that I believe that intelligence agencies monitoring such criminal individuals online activity is probably a very good thing. I know that the internet keeps track of all of our online activities, but I also know that as long as you aren't doing anything illegal, you're probably not going to have to deal with the FBI knocking on your door. The internet is an amazing thing. It is a miracle of human innovation and it's growing each and every day. These days it's all but impossible to find work or have a job that doesn't incorporate the internet in one way or another. As a matter of fact it's also the very platform that I'm using at this exact moment. I think it would do most people some good to limit their time online and take time to appreciate the real world around them. I'm definitely one of those individuals. In fact, once I'm done with this entry, I think I'm going to take a walk outside and appreciate the beautiful day. Of course, that's not to say that the internet is a bad thing, it serves many unique and important purposes. One thing is for certain, it's not going anywhere any time soon so it's best that we all learn how to effectively utilize the internet to improve our lives.