The Internet: Making People Lazy?

The internet is by far the most technologically advanced creation of this decade. With a click of a button you can type in a search query, and within literally seconds, have thousands upon thousands of results. Millions of websites exist, information right at our fingertips. Gone are the days when our parents and grandparents had to scour through encyclopedias, tediously researching whatever they needed to know. Students no longer necessarily have to travel to the library, check out books, and research their essay topics the old fashioned way. "Snail mail" is hardly ever used amongst the more technological people, except to receive bills and bank statements, everything can be accomplished through email. Students can pursue their educations completely online, a wonder for busy parents, and individuals that live in isolated areas. The internet truly is, in my opinion, the single most important invention ever.

However, along with this new cornucopia of knowledge comes the ever annoying abundance of advertisements. They can come in all shapes and forms, appealing to a wide variety of people, as the internet is accessible to almost everyone. Pop ups, banners, video files, advertisements that take up half of a web page are common with the internet experience. Banners announcing free items, mini games to win prizes, and the like have all lead to the issue currently on my mind: Internet Shopping.

With websites like Ebay, Albertsons.com, Macy's,com, a person never has to leave their computer chair! It is terrible! Americans have become obsessed with the "fast fix", or, in other words, we want what we want when we want it. Fast Food, Drive thru pharmacies, Drive thru dry cleaners, and now....you can pay bills and do all of your shopping online. We are obsessed with filling whatever need we may have right in that moment, and as we as a society progress, with newer, faster, more expedient methods, we utilize them more and more, what I believe is a dangerous practice. It may be convenient to order textbooks, research materials and sometimes clothes online, (especially for those of us that live out in the "boonies"), there are those among us that use the internet for everything consumer related, which is a darn shame. People need to open their eyes, take off their blinders and return to a different way of life. I don't think there is anything wrong with the Internet, or even shopping on the internet, but I also believe, "Everything in moderation", another idea our country has trouble with.

Another disturbance that is highly annoying to the internet user is the interruption in our search for knowledge and data. If you click on a site to view information about Asperger's Syndrome, all along the sides of the page are advertisement's for new and exciting products, medication, weight loss pills, oftentimes completely overshadowing the intellectual content of the page. News sites, periodical sites, sites for travel agencies, information about pets, scientific research, health sites all have tons of advertisements. My single most greatest fear regarding this issue is that one day the internet will be exactly like popular magazines, with little content except for advertisements and shopping sites, lost will be the wealth of knowledge, the uses of the internet will be solely consumer based. The limitless opportunities and advantages of this amazing tool will vanish, and people will become even more lazy then ever before, though I pray this does not happen.