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119 Internet Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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The internet has become an integral part of our daily lives, providing us with access to a wealth of information and resources at our fingertips. With the rise of online platforms and social media, there are endless possibilities for essay topics related to the internet. Whether you are writing a research paper, a persuasive essay, or a personal reflection, here are 119 internet essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

• The impact of social media on mental health
• The rise of online shopping and its effects on brick-and-mortar stores
• The role of the internet in political activism and social movements
• Cyberbullying and its consequences
• The ethics of online data collection and privacy
• The influence of internet memes on popular culture
• The future of artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Online education and its benefits for students
• The dark web and its implications for law enforcement
• The phenomenon of viral videos and their impact on society
• Online dating and its effects on relationships
• The spread of fake news on social media platforms
• The role of algorithms in shaping our online experiences
• The impact of internet censorship on freedom of speech
• The rise of influencer marketing on social media platforms
• The benefits and drawbacks of online gaming
• The role of the internet in modern journalism
• The impact of online reviews on consumer behavior
• Online communities and their influence on individuals
• The future of cybersecurity in a digital world
• The impact of streaming services on the entertainment industry
• The rise of online activism and its impact on social change
• The effects of online dating apps on intimacy and relationships
• The role of social media in shaping political opinions
• The rise of online education and its impact on traditional schooling
• The impact of online shopping on the environment
• The influence of internet celebrities on young people
• The ethical implications of online content moderation
• The role of the internet in spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories
• The impact of online advertising on consumer behavior
• The future of virtual reality and its applications
• The rise of online therapy and its benefits for mental health
• The effects of internet addiction on individuals
• The role of social media in shaping body image
• The impact of online dating on traditional courtship rituals
• The rise of online crowdfunding and its impact on entrepreneurship
• The ethics of online surveillance and government monitoring
• The influence of social media on political polarization
• The future of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology
• The impact of online gaming on cognitive development
• The role of the internet in shaping cultural identities
• The effects of online harassment on victims
• The rise of online news aggregators and their impact on traditional journalism
• The ethics of online content creation and ownership
• The influence of social media on consumer trends
• The impact of online education on traditional classroom dynamics
• The role of the internet in promoting diversity and inclusion
• The effects of online activism on political change
• The future of online dating and its impact on romantic relationships
• The rise of online marketplaces and their impact on traditional businesses
• The impact of online dating on marriage and family dynamics
• The role of the internet in promoting global connectivity
• The effects of online gaming on social skills and relationships
• The influence of social media on body image and self-esteem
• The future of online privacy and data security
• The rise of online streaming services and their impact on traditional media
• The impact of online activism on corporate social responsibility
• The role of the internet in shaping political discourse
• The effects of online dating on traditional gender roles
• The influence of social media on political mobilization
• The impact of online shopping on consumer behavior
• The future of artificial intelligence in online communication
• The ethics of online content moderation and censorship
• The impact of online activism on social change
• The impact of internet addiction on individuals
• The impact of online gaming on social skills and relationships

These are just a few examples of the many essay topics that can be explored in relation to the internet. Whether you are interested in social media, online shopping, cybersecurity, or any other aspect of the digital world, there is no shortage of ideas to inspire your writing. So, pick a topic that resonates with you and start exploring the endless possibilities that the internet has to offer.

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The internet has transformed the world in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. It has revolutionized how we communicate, access information, conduct business, and even how we entertain ourselves. The internet has become an integral part of our daily lives, and it’s hard to imagine a world without it.

At its core, the Internet is a vast network of interconnected computers and servers that allows for the exchange of information and data across the globe. It was originally conceived as a way for researchers and scientists to share information and collaborate on projects, but it has since evolved into a ubiquitous platform that has permeated every aspect of modern life.

One of the most significant impacts of the internet has been on communication. Before the internet, communication was limited by geography and time zones. People had to rely on physical mail, telephone calls, or face-to-face meetings to communicate with one another. The internet has made communication instantaneous and borderless. With the rise of email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and social media platforms, people can communicate with each other from anywhere in the world, at any time.

The internet has also revolutionized the way we access information. In the past, people had to rely on physical libraries, books, and other printed materials to access information. Today, with the internet, a wealth of information is available at our fingertips. From online encyclopedias to news websites, academic journals, and online databases, the internet has made it possible to access information on virtually any topic imaginable.

Another significant impact of the internet has been on the economy and the way we conduct business. The rise of e-commerce has made it possible for businesses to reach a global market and sell their products and services online. Online shopping has become increasingly popular, and many traditional brick-and-mortar stores have had to adapt to this new reality by establishing an online presence.

Furthermore, the internet has enabled the rise of the gig economy, where people can work as freelancers or contractors for multiple clients and projects simultaneously. This has created new opportunities for individuals to earn a living and has allowed businesses to access a global talent pool.

The internet has also had a profound impact on education. Online learning platforms and distance education programs have made it possible for students to access educational resources and attend classes from anywhere in the world. This has opened up new opportunities for people who may not have had access to traditional educational institutions due to geographical or financial constraints.

However, the internet has also brought with it a number of challenges and concerns. One of the biggest concerns is privacy and security. With so much personal information being shared online, there is a risk of data breaches and cyber attacks. Companies and individuals need to be vigilant about protecting their personal information and implementing strong cybersecurity measures.

Another concern is the spread of misinformation and fake news. The internet has made it easier for anyone to publish and share information, regardless of its accuracy or credibility. This has led to the proliferation of fake news and conspiracy theories, which can have serious consequences for individuals and society as a whole.

There is also concern about the impact of the internet on mental health and well-being. The constant exposure to social media and the pressure to curate a perfect online persona can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Additionally, the addictive nature of the internet and the constant stream of information can contribute to decreased attention spans and difficulty focusing on tasks.

Despite these challenges, the internet has proven to be an invaluable tool that has transformed the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us. It has opened up new opportunities for communication, education, and economic growth, and has made it possible for people to connect and collaborate in ways that were previously unimaginable.

As we move forward, it is important to address the challenges and concerns surrounding the internet while also embracing its potential for innovation and progress. This may involve implementing stronger cybersecurity measures, promoting digital literacy and critical thinking skills, and encouraging responsible and ethical use of the internet.

In conclusion, the internet has had a profound impact on virtually every aspect of modern life. It has revolutionized communication, education, business, and access to information. While it has brought with it a number of challenges and concerns, the internet has proven to be an invaluable tool that has transformed the way we live and interact with the world around us. As we continue to navigate the digital age, it is important to embrace the opportunities that the internet provides while also addressing its challenges and promoting responsible and ethical use.

Uses of Internet

In the 21st century, the internet has become an indispensable part of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we connect, learn, work, and entertain ourselves. Its multifaceted uses have permeated every aspect of society, bringing about unprecedented convenience and opportunities.

Communication stands out as one of the internet’s most significant uses. Instant messaging, video calls, and social media platforms have transcended geographical barriers, allowing people to stay connected with friends and family across the globe. The internet has turned the world into a global village, fostering a sense of unity and understanding among diverse cultures.

Education has undergone a remarkable transformation due to the internet. Online courses, tutorials, and educational resources have made learning accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Students can pursue degrees, acquire new skills, and access a wealth of information at their fingertips, democratizing education and breaking down traditional barriers to learning.

The internet has also redefined the way we work. Remote collaboration tools, cloud computing, and virtual offices have become essential components of the modern workplace. This shift has not only increased efficiency but has also opened up new opportunities for freelancers and remote workers, contributing to the rise of the gig economy.

In the realm of information, the internet has become an unparalleled resource. Search engines allow us to access vast amounts of information on any topic imaginable. This democratization of information has empowered individuals, encouraging critical thinking and facilitating informed decision-making.

Entertainment has undergone a digital revolution, with streaming services, online gaming, and social media platforms providing endless avenues for amusement. The internet has not only transformed how we consume content but has also given rise to new forms of artistic expression and creativity.

In conclusion, the internet’s uses are multifaceted and far-reaching, impacting every facet of our lives. From connecting people across the globe to revolutionizing education, work, and entertainment, the internet continues to be a transformative force, shaping the present and influencing the future. As we navigate the digital landscape, it is essential to harness the potential of the internet responsibly, ensuring that it remains a force for positive change in the years to come.

Convenience Due to Internet

The advent of the internet has ushered in an era of unprecedented convenience, transforming the way we live, work, and interact with the world. In our fast-paced lives, the internet has become a cornerstone of efficiency and ease, offering a multitude of conveniences that have reshaped our daily routines.

Communication is perhaps the most obvious and impactful convenience brought about by the internet. Instant messaging, email, and social media platforms have revolutionized the way we connect with others. Whether it’s staying in touch with loved ones, collaborating with colleagues, or reaching out to friends across the globe, the internet has made communication instantaneous and seamless.

The convenience of online shopping has fundamentally altered the retail landscape. With just a few clicks, consumers can browse, compare prices, and purchase a vast array of products from the comfort of their homes. The rise of e-commerce platforms has not only made shopping more convenient but has also introduced the concept of doorstep delivery, saving time and eliminating the need for physical store visits.

Information retrieval has been transformed by the internet’s vast repository of knowledge. Search engines provide instant access to information on any conceivable topic, enabling users to quickly find answers, conduct research, and stay informed. This ease of information retrieval has empowered individuals, making knowledge more accessible than ever before.

The workplace has undergone a paradigm shift with the internet, enabling remote work and flexible schedules. Online collaboration tools, cloud computing, and virtual communication platforms have made it possible for individuals to work from virtually anywhere, reducing the constraints of traditional office settings and commuting.

Entertainment has also become infinitely more convenient through streaming services, online gaming, and digital media platforms. The ability to access a diverse range of content on-demand has given consumers unprecedented control over their entertainment choices, eliminating the need to adhere to fixed schedules or physical media.

In conclusion, the internet has woven a tapestry of convenience into the fabric of our lives. From streamlined communication and effortless online shopping to boundless information access and flexible work arrangements, the conveniences offered by the internet have become integral to our modern existence. As we navigate this digital landscape, the ongoing evolution of internet technologies continues to enhance and redefine the meaning of convenience in our interconnected world.

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Essay On Internet- FAQs

What is internet short essay.

In the modern time, internet has become is one of the most powerful and interesting tools all across the world. The Internet is a network of networks and collection of many services and resources which benefits us in various ways. Using internet we can access World Wide Web from any place.

What is Internet in 150 words?

The internet is the most recent man-made creation that connects the world. The world has narrowed down after the invention of the internet. It has demolished all boundaries, which were the barriers between people and has made everything accessible. The internet is helpful to us in different ways.

What is internet 100 words?

A. The internet, a recent man-made marvel, has brought the world closer. It has shattered all barriers and made everything accessible. The internet serves us in countless ways, from sharing information with people across the world to staying connected with our loved ones.

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239 Internet Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on internet, ✍️ internet essay topics for college, 👍 good internet research topics & essay examples, 🌶️ hot internet ideas to write about, 💡 simple internet essay ideas, 📌 easy internet essay topics, ❓ research questions about the internet.

• Internet Does More Good Than Harm
• Impact of Internet on Students’ Life
• Life Before the Internet Versus After the Internet
• History of the Internet
• Internet Impact on Modern Culture
• The Negative Effect the Internet Has on Society
• Dangers of the Internet to Children
• Is the Internet «Making Us Stupid?» The global spread of the Internet is raising concerns among the public in the fields of general education and knowledge.
• Evolution of the Internet The complex history of the evolution of the internet involves many aspects such as technological, organizational, social, and political.
• Benefits of Using the Internet in the Modern World This essay is focusing on the benefits which the worldwide users have been enjoying since they started using the internet, until now when the usage of the internet is advanced.
• Impact of Internet on Society The importance of Internet technologies in the life of society cannot be underestimated. Despite some negative aspects, it improves many aspects.
• The Role of Internet on International Marketing There is a need to study the practical impact of the internet on international marketing and how such modern technology will change the face of traditional marketing phenomena.
• Impacts of Internet on Print Media and Journalism This essay seeks to elaborate on the impacts of internet on print media and journalism while in the process stating the advantages and disadvantages of both internet and print media.
• The Internet and the World Wide Web Concepts The Internet and the World Wide Web play a vital role in everyday life. The Internet contributes to the connection of the computer, and the World Wide Web enables access.
• Intellectual Property Law and Piracy on the Internet Piracy can be done on various different types of intellectual properties, especially those that can be downloaded from the internet.
• The Impact of the Internet on Banking The internet and Information Technology has given banks their core objective and that is services towards their customers and at the moment it is bringing forth more valued added products.
• The Internet Impact on the Buying Process The essay will concentrate on the Internet as a global marketplace that impacts how the worldwide network of communication either promotes or limits business interactions.
• The Internet’s Effects on Intelligence in Digital Age The use of the Internet does not make the population stupider. It is the inevitable progress of technology and science that makes people’s lives easier.
• The Impact of the Internet on Human Heath Healthcare professionals need to develop prevention and intervention strategies to fight Internet addiction and negative consequences for the physical health.
• Internet Addiction as a Teenage Issue This paper evaluates Internet addiction as an issue affecting teenagers today and assesses the causes, assessment tools, and support options.
• Should We Restrict Internet Usage by Children? The paper examines why there exists a need to filter internet usage by children and suggests ways and means to implement the same.
• The Internet, Its Role and Development This essay will discuss the key roles and events that enabled the establishment and development of the Internet and evaluate its contribution to society.
• My Digital Footprint on the Internet Today, the US companies based on the internet create and store citizens’ personal data, including race, ideology/religion, and sexuality.
• Necessity of Internet Censorship: Essay Sample Many governments have taken various measures to ensure that they monitor information that is made available to their citizens.
• Research of Dark Side of the Internet The present paper focuses on the overview of the Darknet (Dark Side of the Internet), its purposes, users, and ways to control it.
• The Internet Growth and Problems That It Faced A major factor in the growth of the internet was the development of the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web was invented in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau.
• The Various Aspects of Internet Pornography The paper discusses what actually internet pornography is, its effect on our culture, pros and cons and some worth mentioning facts have been mentioned.
• The Internet Era’s Impact on Reading The Internet era has decreased the popularity of reading even though people can find an alternative way to consume written information.
• Negative Effects of Using Cell Phones and the Internet during Social Interactions Reduced communication skills, low-quality conversations, weakened relationship bonds, and mental health issues are among many negative effects.
• The 1974 Copyright Regulations on Internet Videos In 1974 the United States became a member of the convention that safeguarded the procedures of phonograms contrary to unauthorized duplication of their contents.
• The Internet’s Impact on Advertising This research highlights the effects of the Internet on advertising and argues that the Internet has revolutionized advertising due to its flexible and dynamic orientation.
• Effects of Social Media and Internet Social scientists focus on social, economic, and political affairs, and social media and the Internet are highly useful.
• Journalism: Impact of the Internet and Technology The internet paved the way for citizen journalism which eradicated censorship and significantly played a part in democratizing power.
• The Information Transmission Through the Internet The data streaming over the Internet influenced the improvement and invention of the updated media platforms. That opens a wider range of possibilities the live files.
• Impact of the Internet on Society The Internet creates new ways for citizens to communicate, congregate, and share information of social nature. It is obvious that the Internet has and will continue to change the way we live.
• The Rapid Growth of the Internet The digital information revolution and explosion manifest in the ever increasing quantities and array of new electronic information resources.
• Government Censorship on the Internet: An Extended Outline This essay argues that while governmental censorship can support the well-being of the nation, it should be applied with increased caution to respect the freedom of speech.
• Internet Privacy and Privacy Issues Even though internet connectivity enables many people to interact and share information, privacy issues have remained a big problem for Internet users.
• Internet Usage Around the World The Asian country Macao has a higher percentage of internet users compared to the Czech Republic, even though the European region has more internet access than the Asian one.
• The Internet Importance for the Modern World The Internet is a major tool for the integration and rapprochement of human communities, which has undoubtedly affected the change in social thought.
• Internet in Our Life: Personal Opinion Amazon.com practically dominates the online retail industry with its selection of products and services, the problem with this though is that a crowding-out effect occurs.
• The Effectiveness of the Internet in Healthcare Healthcare organizations that are making use of the internet to manage their information have received significant attention.
• The Effect of the Internet on Advertisement The internet provides an effective model of injecting efficiency in the advertisement as a component of businesses.
• Internet for Children: Benefits and Threats The paper notes that while there are many advantages of the internet to children, the numerous harms make it unwise to let children access it on their own.
• Applications of the Internet of Things in Business The paper discusses the Internet of Things applications in business, and significantly how the large volumes of data collected can improve business insight and customer experience.
• Shifts That May Happen as the Internet Continues to Grow and Expand The Internet can be the innovation that has transformed every industry and individuals’ life. The changes can be seen in technological, business, and society, and development.
• Security for Internet E-Commerce Transactions E-commerce is becoming an important focus to many businesses across the globe because of the accompanying benefits and also because of the need to advance towards modern systems.
• Internet Invention: History and Lifestyle Changes It is clear that the world has really come far in terms of inventions. The internet particularly has provided a link between all the continents.
• Internet and Interactive Media as an Advertising Tool There are 2 benefits of the use of the Internet and interactive media as an advertising tool: they are extremely cost-efficient and improve customer interaction and communication.
• The Internet and the Media The traditional media facilitated the enforcement of laws, which ensured that all released contents remained ethical.
• Internet’ Effects on Journalism The research compares traditional journalism (journalism during the internet blackout era), and modern journalism commonly referred to as citizen journalism.
• Are Children Smarter and More Socialized Because of Internet? The article argues today’s children have problems with socialization and intellectual development because of the Internet.
• News on the Internet vs. Traditional Media The credibility of news on the Internet is a topic that often becomes the cause of controversy and even lawsuits against unscrupulous media resources.
• The Internet and Interactive Media as a New Advertising Tool Since at present advertising is one of the most active spheres of human activities, the use of the Internet and interactive media in it is ever-increasing.
• How the Internet Changed Academic Paper-Writing Researchers and students use deductive reasoning to break down their concepts and ideas. This process usually revolves around the development and presentation of arguments.
• The Internet in the Modern Educational System The increased access to the Internet made it possible for both teachers and students to be at the forefront of digitalization.
• The Use of the Internet to Solve Crimes The paper discusses that the use of the internet in solving crimes has made it easy and convenient for law enforcers to handle criminal cases.
• How the Internet Changed the Way People Think? Some parts of the Internet have become so inseparable from people’s existence that the Internet affects the way people think.
• Impact of Internet and Social Media on Influencers The paper states that influencers and the Internet are inseparable elements of the whole. Influencers continue to be an essential part of the modern Internet.
• Effects of the Internet on Society and Individuals The use of the internet is a great resource that is available worldwide. People can connect with their loved ones, receive information, and reach out to the needy ones.
• Discussion of Civility on the Internet Civility comes from the Greek word “civilitas”, which means the readiness of people to offer themselves for the benefit of the city.
• Jurisdictional Standards to Civil Internet Issues The internet has come a long way from a lawless nature to an entity where some laws and guidelines and regulations monitor the way it is utilized.
• Internet Technology: Creating a Website This paper is set to explain the way the internet has changed lives and its effect on the pace at which businesses are conducted all over the world today.
• The Internet of Things (IoT) and Healthcare The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term that defines the way objects (things) can be connected to the Internet, which provides them with the capability to transmit information.
• Amazon vs. Walmart: Internet in the Retail Industry This paper discusses the recent development of retail through the main aspects of Porter’s Five Forces analysis and the growth of Amazon and Walmart.
• The Neuroscience of Internet Addiction Technology firms play a great role in exploiting the neuroscience of internet addiction through marketing, as revealed in the article.
• Modern Internet and Copyright Arguments This paper aims to discuss arguments for and against downloading copyrighted books, music, and software from the Internet.
• Body of Knowledge of Internet of Things This paper aims to analyze the Body of Knowledge of Internet of Things, knowledge and application area, and methodology and planning level.
• Why the Internet Is Killing Us The Internet is killing humanity because of the colossal scale of hatred and the same number of channels through which it is transmitted.
• Ramifications of the Internet The Internet is useful, and it possesses great advantages because a person can discover a lot of new opportunities for oneself, which can make his/her dreams come true, and become more knowledgeable and informed.
• Music Journalism in the Future Internet Age The advent of the Internet has affected the role of the traditional print music journalist to the extent of raising concerns over the prospects of the field.
• What Feminist Theory Teaches Us About the Internet? This study examines the article that speculates upon the increasing sexism that currently dominates online spaces, and the ability of feminist theory to change this situation.
• The Internet Origins and Commercial Use The emergence of the Internet has facilitated a greater exchange of information between people. As a result, it stimulated the development of e-commerce and trade.
• Legal Regulation of the Internet The question of the responsibility of Internet providers to society for the content of their messages is quite acute.
• Freedom of Speech on the Internet The research paper explores freedom of speech, with a specific focus on each person’s right to express their thoughts on the Internet.
• “Dressing for the Internet” by Shumaker et al. The study aims to study clothing as a method of nonverbal online communication but falls short due to its flawed sample and methodology.
• Internet and Education Interconnection The Internet promoted the globalization of world education, made the latest scientific achievements available for students and tutors. Internet is the whole world for learning.
• How the Internet Challenges Families This paper aims at discussing the effects the Internet has on families through the prism of communication, the desire to compare, and the intentions to find information quickly.
• Saudi Arabia and Internet Censorship The Internet in Saudi Arabia is one of the most restricted, even though this country is one of the biggest economic giants thanks to oil.
• Impact of the Internet on Mental Health The purpose of this paper is to learn more about the particular positive effects of Internet use on human psychology in the era of the Covid-19.
• Issues on Internet: Privacy and Freedom of Speech Two of the issues, namely, privacy and freedom of speech with regards to the Internet have been discussed in this article.
• Internet Sources in Health Education In the article, the author talks about the importance of using the media to improve health literacy of the population.
• A Comprehensive Analysis of Pornography on the Internet A comprehensive analysis of pornography on the internet will be provided in this paper. The term “pornography” comes from porneia, the Greek word for prostitute.
• Internet for Travel Agencies and Tourism Websites The purpose of the project is to address the question of how the Internet affected the travel industry about customer satisfaction and service convenience.
• Pandora Internet Radio and Unprofitable Clients Pandora Radio became acquainted with the harsh reality of Internet radio when the number of users breached the 1 million mark.
• Role of Internet in Internet Addiction This paper will use qualitative data to analyze the role of the web in digital media addiction amid the young people. The paper will begin with a literature review of internet addiction.
• Networks and the Internet Tools This research paper examines various types of networks, a range of the Internet tools, and the Internet activism.
• Pros and Cons of Health-Related Information on the Internet Many people today, whether providers or consumers of healthcare, often turn to the internet for medical advice.
• Internet-of-Things in the Military and Its Feasibility This paper provides an analysis of the Internet of Military Things functions and a description of its feasibility in the future and its associated costs.
• Regulating Internet Privacy and Related Issues Internet privacy subjects cover all the concerns about the information collected by the website operators and by spying soft wares.
• Internet Selling of Items of Crafts Business Currently, there is an emergence of the concept of entrepreneurship within the business environment. This requires that the potential investors have to scan the environment.
• Internet Communications and Media Internet communication gives us a fling like real communication. Chatting, videoconference, etc. are promoting the virtual culture in this world.
• The Concept of Internet Memes A sarcastic use of virtually harmless memes, idols, and mascots such as Pepe the Frog or Gritty is a vivid illustration of such trend for non-verbal abuse of certain public.
• Internet Age and Its Influence on a Public Self The Internet age has brought forth a significant change in social interactions and personal connections. This phenomenon created both numerous advantages and challenges.
• The Internet Evolution and Advancement Since its creation, the Internet has changed humanity’s trajectory. All aspects of people’s lives, from business to social interactions, are now shaped by the World Wide Web.
• Internet as a Revolutionary Innovation One of the major discoveries is the Internet, which over 50% of the global population uses on daily basis. The microwave is another technological innovation.
• The Internet Impact on Social Reality The debate space between cyber-optimists and cyber-pessimists is disputing how the Internet can change social reality.
• Post-Literate Generation: Is the Internet Making Us Stupid? Many scientists, specifically, Nicholas Carr, believe that limitless access to information has the capacity to damage humanity’s ability to think critically.
• Muted Generation or How Internet Changes the Way We Live The daily use of devices is addictive, and given the long time spent daily interacting with technology, the Internet can shape our personality, mental state, and lifestyle.
• The Rise of Depression in the Era of the Internet Understanding how the Internet affects human lives is essential in ascertaining the reasons for the growing loneliness in the intrinsically connected world.
• Internet Usage Among Small and Medium Enterprises: A Malaysian Perspective The United States and the original European Community members may have pioneered going into the World Wide Web, even invented the basic tools and techniques.
• Concepts of Current Chinese Internet Culture The difference between China and U.S. users is mostly cultural, Chinese people still consider it separates them from more free-minded American users.
• Internet Communication Engineering The past few decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of internet users. This upward trend has been accompanied by increase in the process of streaming.
• Self-Control and Rational Choice in Internet Abuses at Work The article conveys the idea that the employee’s time spent on the Internet should be appropriately controlled for the company’s informational security (IS).
• COVID-19 Internet Slang Development This research paper will focus on the development and spread of new internet slang caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare crisis.
• Effect of Internet in the Gambling Sector The gambling sector is one of the sectors affected both negatively and positively by the internet. However, the negative effects outweigh the positives.
• Internet Effect on Different Cultures Though the Internet has tried to unify all aspects of culture, it is creating a barrier between those who know and are interested in it and those who don’t know or can’t access it.
• Internet and the Radio Industry: Strategic Management The Internet has reformed the way business is done all over the world. The impact the Internet had on the radio industry is that the network would boost the programming variety.
• India: Country Studies. Internet Data Collection The current issues, which have gained prominence, are issues related to terrorism in India, its relation with Pakistan, problems of refugees or internally displaced people.
• The Internet of Things as the Primary Trend in Telecommunications The purpose of this paper is to give a detailed and critical analysis of the Internet of Things as the current trend in telecommunications.
• Transparency in Government Services Through Internet Media Social media and internet resources adopted by administrations can be used to provide transparency about public services and the governance process.
• Consumer Behaviour: Internet and Interactive Media Usage The interactive media present advertisers with missed fortunes. The research seeks to establish some of the determinants that affect consumer behavior towards such ads.
• Internet-Based Psychotherapy as an Innovative Tool This paper discusses Internet-based psychotherapy as an innovative tool for increasing access to quality psychotherapy services.
• Impact of the Internet Censorship There have been negative implications in society as people have changed their behaviors due to the influence of internet materials.
• Ocado Internet Shop and Its Features Ocado Internet shop, which offers online grocery store experience for people living in the UK, demonstrates effective use of digital structures in its work.
• The Internet and Ethical Debate on Information Privacy The internet has become a vital tool for obtaining information, trading, learning, politics administration, socialisation, and entertainment in the world.
• Violating Privacy on the Internet Is Morally Wrong In this paper, intrusion and public disclosure principles will be used in arguing that violating privacy on the internet is morally wrong. On the Internet, public disclosure occurs in several ways.
• Education: Internet Courses Versus Traditional Courses This paper argues that internet courses are better and more effective than traditional college courses since the internet education platform is more affordable.
• The Internet of Things Devices and Security Issues The Internet of Things devices are very insecure, and their security is not up to the mark. Many risks are associated with it, which can impact the company’s functioning.
• The Internet’s Effect on Education and Students’ Literacy While some claim it gives students a broader learning option, others believe it cannot replace the possibility of writing on physical paper and reading from paper books.
• Internet of Things, Digital Servitization and Business Performance The Internet of Things refers to an integrated system built of hardware and software components that is used to facilitate communication and data sharing.
• Internet Search and Personal Information The sources that provide information about a person are discussed. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are among the most popular social media.
• The Internet Role in Human Trafficking This essay will argue that the problem of Internet use for human trafficking is unsolvable because there are not enough ways to control these processes.
• The Internet on Guard of the State Regime To subjugate freedom of speech on the Internet, censors use several techniques, such as focusing on a local incident and actively using innovative technologies.
• The Internet Censorship Problem from Various Viewpoints Although online communications are still relatively free of censorship in the form of legal restrictions, more people argue that interactions on the internet should be regulated.
• Internet Technology: Software Maintenance and Evolution More and more organizations depend on trends in the IT market. Now one can see how even small companies hire employees who can create a website.
• Cultural Democracy and Internet Imperialism The source helps draw a connection between the conscious domination of cultural niches and its impact on global biases within media.
• The Internet and Technology Negative Effects This article forms a good understanding of the influence technology has on the human brain and draws a pessimistic conclusion on its future trajectory.
• How the Internet and Digital Culture Have Changed Language in Canada In Canada, digital platforms have ingrained a contemporary lifestyle in communication, influenced by new shortened twists of phrases and keystrokes, acronyms, effective emoticons.
• E-Commerce: The Utility of Internet Retail The paper states e-commerce has no space restrictions, and websites can carry various products. It helps customers to get what they need.
• Does the Internet Negatively Impact People’s Brains? The current paper indicates that the Internet cannot negatively influence people’s smartness and concentration unless they allow it to do so.
• Aspects of Internet Neutrality The paper discusses internet neutrality. It is a set of laws that prevents Internet service providers to block access to specific sites.
• Importance of Internet of Things Security The new peer-to-peer botnet referred to as Mozi, has a relation to Gafgyt malware, uses a DHT protocol and spreads by abusing Telnet passwords and target networking devices.
• The Problem of the “Technological Bondage”: The Internet Addiction Psychologists compare Internet addiction, which appeared with the development of the Internet, with alco- and drug dependency.
• The Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act This research paper discusses the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act and what it means for the public and the government.
• Programming: Correlates of Internet Addiction in Turkish Adolescents Variable gender respondent, labeled Q101 in the data set, is a nominal variable that measures the type of response that the researcher is recording.
• How Has the Internet Changed the Recording Industry? Music as a business has been most thoroughly affected by the development of the Internet, as the physical medium (CDs) disappeared.
• How the Internet Transformed Design Fashion By using the Internet, people can shop online and avoid overcrowded shopping malls. It saves time, and people do not get tired while looking for a specific product.
• Internet Censorship: Freedom of Expression in the Arts Many countries have embraced this technology and used it to boost their economies and other aspects of life, including education.
• What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains Reading printed text existed long before the internet text. With the coming of the internet, many people have been at crossroads when it comes to choosing a better text to read.
• Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet and Mailed Surveys Internet surveys have advantages and disadvantages, but in modern times companies are still inclined to choose Internet surveys rather than regular mail.
• Terrorism: Radicalization and the Internet The current paper examines the main causes and types of radicalism, as well as what role the Internet plays in the hands of terrorists.
• A Plan for Internet Pedophile Investigation This paper aims to develop a plan to investigate and capture criminals who engage in online pedophilia to protect children.
• Online Radicalization on the Internet
• Harm From Social Networks and Internet Usage
• Internet Recruiting: Stages and Benefits
• Assigning IP (Internet Protocol) Addresses to People
• The Internet of Things: Echo Product
• The Internet of Things in Transportation Management
• Sources Credibility in Internet Information About Stem Cells Research
• Quality of Service in the Voice Over Internet Protocol
• Massive Internet Outage Hits Websites Including Amazon, gov.UK and Guardian
• The Internet of Things (IoT) as Used by Smart Cities in Response to COVID-19
• Voice over Internet Protocol: Explaining the Essence
• Passwords and Their Role in the Internet Security
• Impact of the Internet on Consumers’ Opportunities
• Social Media and Internet Advertising for Brand’s Success
• Phorm Fires Privacy Row for Internet Service Providers
• Applying Internet Laws and Regulations to Educational Technology
• The Internet: The Roles of The Private Sector and The Government
• Transmission Control Protocol-Internet Protocol Ensuring Communication
• Internet of Things in Manufacturing System
• Internet Privacy and Internet Frontier
• Web Evlauation – Website of the Internet Mental Health Organization
• Internet Blogging Problems: Warman Versus Lemire Case
• Treasure Trove or Trash: The Internet and Its Ability to Enact Social Change
• Patient Guide to the Internet
• The World Wide Web and the Internet Issues
• A Patient’s Guide Through www.: Surfing Through the Internet
• Net Neutrality – A Free Internet
• The Facets of Globalization in Internet Security
• Management Information Systems: Internet and Intranet
• Biometrics in Regards to Computer and Internet Security
• Voice Over Internet Protocol: Technology Introduction
• Facts From Fiction and From the Internet
• Tom.com: Strategic Analysis of an Asian Internet Company
• White Power Never Disappeared: Supremacists in the Internet

🎓 Most Interesting Internet Research Titles

• Voice Over Internet Protocol Description
• Internet Addiction Affect on Person Normal Functioning
• Internet Penetration Policy and Its Implications in UAE
• How the Internet Reconditioned Business Thinking
• Internet Filtering in the UAE
• The Relations Between Internet and Culture Uniformity
• Privacy Protection on the Internet
• Migration Health and Internet Use in Organizations
• Rise of Internet and End of Mass Media Audience
• The Benefits & Drawbacks of the Internet
• D&D London Restaurant Company: Internet Strategy
• Internet Social Group Analysis
• The Protection of Internet Users in the US
• The All Geeks Company’s Internet Marketing
• Cyber Surveillance and Privacy of Internet Users
• Child Pornography and Subcultural Norms on the Internet
• Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and the Impact on Facilities’ Environments
• Internet and Its Influence on Modern Society
• Activism and Extremism in the Internet
• Musical Culture and Internet Influence
• Internet of Things in Global Transportation System
• Internet Marketing Strategies and Consumer Behavior
• Role of the Internet in Political Campaigns
• Internet Censorship: Classified Information Leaks
• Complex Internet Security: Approaches to Protecting Private Information
• Marketing Campaign, Brand Strategy and Internet
• Big Data and Internet of Things Correlation
• Transparency of Services: Social Media and the Internet Usage
• Internet Privacy Policy at the Workplace
• Cisco Company’s Internet Practices and Market Share
• The Internet of Things: Perspectives and Challenges
• Are Children Smarter Because of the Internet?
• Are Parents Clueless About Child Predators on the Internet?
• What Is Causing Internet Issues?
• Can the Business Use of Internet Technologies Help a Company Gain a Competitive Advantage?
• Should Public Libraries Filter Internet Sites?
• Does Computers and the Internet Help Students Learn?
• Does the Internet Affect Today’s Children for Good or Bad?
• How Do You Check if the Internet Is Down in Your Area?
• Does the Internet Increase Crime?
• Does the Internet Have Psychological Benefits?
• What Are Ten Advantages of the Internet?
• Does the Internet Hinder Human Interactions?
• What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet for Students?
• What Is the Brief History of thre Internet?
• What Is the Importance of the Internet?
• How Does Internet Marketing Communication Differ From Traditional Marketing Communication?
• How Do Software Applications Influence the Internet?
• What Is the Impact of the Internet in Our Life?
• Why the Internet Is the Greatest Invention?
• How Does the Internet Aid Communication?
• How Has the Internet Impacted Society?
• Who Invented the Real Internet?
• What Was the First Thing on the Internet?
• What Is the First Email Word Sent Through the Internet?
• Can Internet Enhance Social Capital Among Its Users?
• How the Internet Is Useful in Research?
• Should the Internet Service Providers Be Allowed to Ban Extremist Content?
• What Are Three Things Needed to Connect to the Internet?
• Should Purchase Made Over the Internet Be Taxable?
• What File Format Is Used for the Internet?

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StudyCorgi. (2021, September 9). 239 Internet Essay Topics. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/internet-essay-topics/

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StudyCorgi . "239 Internet Essay Topics." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/internet-essay-topics/.

StudyCorgi . 2021. "239 Internet Essay Topics." September 9, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/internet-essay-topics/.

These essay examples and topics on Internet were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 8, 2024 .

Essays About The Internet: Top 5 Examples and Prompts

Are you writing essays about the internet? Then, read our guide, including interesting essay examples and writing prompts to get you started. 

The internet is a vast network of billions of computers connecting people virtually worldwide. When you connect to the internet or go online, you can access loads of information and communicate with people from millions of miles away.

The internet has presented groundbreaking benefits to society, such as global, real-time communication, more accessible access to information, and more source of leisure. However, when in the wrong hands, the internet can be a dangerous neighborhood that bustles with criminal opportunities for thieves, stalkers, and murderers.

For inspiration in writing an article about the internet, read our round-up of thought-provoking essay examples and prompts. 

1. Forty Years Of The Internet: How The World Changed Forever by Oliver Burkeman

2. who owns the internet by elizabeth kolbert, 3. a nation of echo chambers: how the internet closed off the world by will leitch, 4. the rise of memes in the internet world by lennlee keep, 5. how to fight lies, tricks and chaos online by adi robertson, 10 writing prompts on essays about the internet, 1. the internet’s benefits to students, 2. dangers of the internet on the youth, 3. how the internet changed how we date, 4. how the internet revolutionized business, 5. safeguarding your privacy online, 6. effects of internet slang on literacy, 7. are bloggers replacing journalists, 8. the internet of things, 9. metaverse: the future of the internet, 10. creating communities online.

“It’s impossible to say for certain when the internet began, mainly because nobody can agree on what, precisely, the internet is. (This is only partly a philosophical question: it is also a matter of egos since several of the people who made key contributions are anxious to claim the credit.”

Burkeman treads the history of the internet through the lens of those who claim to have contributed to its development and arrival on the tech scene. His nostalgic journey interestingly shows how the internet emerged glacially slow, heading toward the dotcom boom not until decades after a successful computer communication experiment initially intended to establish US defense. You might also be interested in these essays about computers .

“The Internet revolution has, indeed, sent heads rolling, as legions of bookstore owners, music critics, and cirrhotic editors can attest. Instead of becoming more egalitarian, the country has become less so: the gap between America’s rich and poor grows ever wider.”

Once envisioned to democratize power to the people, the Internet disappoints as it continues to concentrate power on a few, deepening inequality with graver concerns, such as piracy and fake news.

“We now only have to interact with people who agree with us; if I use Twitter as my primary news source, as so many people do, I can carefully curate my feed to exclude anyone who disagrees with me about anything. (And if someone who slips in there who does, I can call them a horrible person.).”

The essay laments how the internet has isolated us into our echo chambers, leaving our beliefs unchallenged and stripped of world-proven facts on matters as evident as vaccination. Furthermore, because we addictively feed into the positive validation of people who share our opinions, it becomes easy to demonize those who don’t. As such, our society deals with more conspiracy theory believers and spreaders. 

“The internet is still in some ways the Wild West, and putting your meme and your art out in the world requires a certain amount of faith in humanity, diligence and maybe a good rights attorney on retainer.”

An integral part of social media, memes may not mean what we know them to be in the internet age. Instead, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins contends that memes are cultural ideas and customs passed on if worthy of being “meme”-icked. If we go by this definition, memes could date back to early civilizations and even be found in the animal kingdom.

“This kind of viral half-truth is part of the fabric of today’s internet, and the kind of anger it inspired has been turned into a dangerous commodity. It’s cynically exploited by businesses for ad-supported “fake news,” by scammers raising money online, and by authoritarian governments to spread hate and fear.”

The widespread falsehoods being peddled over the internet requires netizens’ heightened vigilance. But Robertson recognizes the struggle always to be vigilant, drawing up a list of practical techniques everyone can use to combat fake news. 

Share your insights and experience on how the internet has expanded your knowledge in a subject matter and helped you complete your academic papers. In addition, you can compare these perks against the difficulties students and researchers had to endure before the birth of the internet. 

Anyone can be a victim on the internet, but kids are most vulnerable to cyberattacks and offenses. So first, cite the most common concerns kids can encounter while surfing online. A few examples you can include are cyberbullying, phishing, predators, and scams. Next, offer kids and parents some helpful safety tips to avoid falling prey to these online traps. 

Critics hate the internet for making dating among the youth an easy game that heavily emphasizes sexual and physical attractions. Do you agree with them? Discuss your feelings on this point. You can also look into how the internet has strengthened relationships, especially long-distance ones, through communication.

In your essay, take a deep dive into how e-commerce has forever changed how we do business, from how we market our products to the skills of employees now sought. Then, lay down the risks and opportunities in e-commerce. Finally, provide expert tips on how businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, can be competitive by conquering the risks online while optimizing profits through the opportunities of a digitally borderless world. 

Privacy is a contentious issue over the internet. Laws on privacy have turned more complex and become doubly challenging to enforce. In this prompt, hammer down the essence of maintaining privacy on the internet. Then, taking off from privacy experts’ recommendations, offer your audience critical steps to ensure they protect their private space and their data when online.

Internet slang is an evolving language created for people to communicate online easily. It has drawn extensive debates on its effects on the future of language and literacy. In your essay, write your insights on internet slang’s negative and positive effects on shaping students’ linguistic views and skills. If you’re a linguistics geek, you might also be interested in discovering how different languages created their internet lingos.

Can blogging meet journalistic standards and be a reliable source of truth? Journalists do not think so, but some contend that blogging is a form of citizen journalism that can legitimately put light on different angles of an event or situation. Answer this question yourself through your essay and dig deeper into the pros and cons of blogs as a source of news. 

The Internet of Things (IoT) — the interconnectivity of devices made possible by the internet — is poised to be the next most significant technological advancement. When writing this essay, explain what part IOT can play in redefining the future. Then, cite its potential real-world applications and how it can revolutionize industries. 

Write about the metaverse and its promises of raising the online experience to the next level. Talk about what your readers can expect and what activities they can do once they enter the metaverse. Then, consider tackling the technologies making the metaverse a reality and the cost of “living” in this virtual space. You may also go so far as to mull over the potential problems the metaverse poses, such as promoting an improved alternate world to escape from reality. 

One of the most significant social benefits of the internet is finding new friends who share the same interests. We can engage with them directly or through forum discussions that strengthen our knowledge of our interests. For this essay, write about online groups and communities you are part of and share how these are helping you learn more while also challenging you to think more deeply to develop your insights and analysis. Want your essay to leave a good, lasting impression on your readers? Check this guide on how to write an argumentative essay . If you’re still choosing an essay topic, read our essay guides on social media and technology .

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay

Introduction, impact of internet on society, a case for the internet, works cited.

The internet is arguably the most influential invention made in the last half a century. This creation has had immense impact on the world with person’s personal and professional lives being influenced by this innovation. The internet has invaded most aspects of human life with its use spanning from industries as diverse as health care provision to mining and manufacturing.

This wide application of the internet has made it hard for people to envision a world without the internet. For most people, it would be impossible to operate efficiently if the internet was not there to provide quick and effective communication. However, the internet has contributed to some negative outcomes in society due to its attributes of efficiency and ease of information provision. This paper will argue that the world would be a better place if the internet had not been invented.

The information available on the internet has contributed to the rise in violence in our society. The internet contains a wide array of information on all topics. Some of the information contained pertains to violence and how a person can engage in acts of violence. There are websites that offer in-depth information on how to create a homemade bomb or even how to convert a handgun into a semi-automatic weapon.

This information has been used by various individuals to carry out acts of violence against members of the society (Schmitt 1). In the recent Boston bomb attack, the perpetrators used the internet to gain information on how to turn pressure cookers into deadly bombs that were used to carry out the terror attacks. The Norwegian terrorist, Anders Breivik who killed 77 people and injured at least 110 more is reported to have used the internet in his preparation for the brutal attacks.

Proponents of the internet argue that individuals with violent tendencies will find a way to carry out attacks even without the help of the internet. They argue that a person who wants to commit a crime can get the information they need from books or use traditional weapons such as guns and knives. While this is true, the internet has made it easier for the violent people to access dangerous information with little effort. This has increased the danger that such individuals pose to our society.

The internet has contributed to making the world an unsafe place by making it easy for international terrorists to operate. The prevalence of global acts of terror in the last decade has made international terrorism the greatest danger to world security.

Terror attacks in major cities such as New York, London, and Madrid have caused world leaders to recognize the devastating effect of international terrorism. The internet has assisted in the growth and development of international terrorist organizations. Schmitt reveals that the internet plays a role in the recruitment and radicalization of terrorists in countries all over the world (1).

For example, radical clerics have been known to post radical sermons online and gain many followers all over the world. The radical messages have contributed to the prevalence of “home grown” terrorists who communicate hateful messages through the internet. In the Boston bombing incident, the two brothers are reported to have been influenced and radicalized by the Islamic Cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki whose sermons provided the motivation for their deadly attacks (Schmitt 1).

The al-Qaeda terror network is known to use the internet extensively to spread its hateful messages and inspire acts of terrorism against Western targets. Without the internet, terrorists would not have such an efficient medium through which to spread their messages. It is therefore conceivable that the world would be safer without the internet to facilitate the spread of international terrorism.

The internet has given governments the tools with which to engage in pervasive surveillance of their citizens. While we live in an open community where freedom is guaranteed, the government may want to keep track of its citizens. In the past, attempts by the governments to engage in surveillance have been met with resistance.

However, the internet has provided an efficient and cheap means for the governments to track people and keep records of their communication often without their consent. By gathering information from sources such as Internet Service Providers, search engines, and Social Networking Sites, the government can build profiles of individuals and invade privacy. A report by the CNN ominously warns that thanks to the internet, “our surveillance state is efficient beyond the wildest dreams of George Orwell” (Schneier 1).

The internet has made it possible for a person’s private information to be accessed and stored by third parties. The US government has engaged in spying activities on its own citizens without their consent or knowledge. The internet has therefore contributed to the dramatic infringement of personal privacy by the government and made our society less free.

The internet has played a part in the prevalence of moral decay by providing individuals with decadent material. The internet is the largest repository of information in the world. Among this information is material of a questionable moral caliber such as pornography. A report by the BBC states that four in every ten individuals who use the internet are subjected to pornographic material (1).

This report is corroborated by the fact that the pornography industry has grown into a multi-million dollar industry with many pornography websites appearing online. Pornography is damaging to the society since it leads to a pervasion of sexual acts and promotes acts of violence such as rape.

Reports indicate that many convicted rapists and child molesters cite pornography as a trigger to their damaging actions (BBC 1). Proponents of the internet argue that there was still decadent material in the society before the invention of the internet. They claim that photographic material could be obtained through magazines and even bootleg tapes. These claims are true since offensive material has been in the society since the invention of the printing press.

However, the spread of this material before the internet was restricted and it occurred in a regulated fashion. A report by the BBC reveals that since the arrival of the internet, “pornography is far more readily available and less regulated” (1). Without the internet, it would be harder for people to access pornographic material. The society would therefore be protected from the negative effects of this decadent material.

Advocates of the internet assert that is has contributed to the growth and development of society. Industries and Businesses have benefited from improved efficiency and effectiveness due to the internet. Increased productivity in organizations has resulted in economic growth, which is a desirable outcome for the society.

The internet has also enhanced scientific research and innovation by making it easy for various professionals to work collaboratively through the internet. It has increased the research abilities of various professionals therefore contributing to the development of our society. Knut asserts that the internet has served as an enabler for all forms of innovation in the society (1). This positive attributes of the internet are all true and the prevalence of the internet has greatly affected societies and the economy.

However, it should be noted that innovation and research would still have occurred even without the presence of the internet. Economic growth and prosperity was in action for decades before the advent of the internet. What the internet has done is increase the rate at which economic growth and technological advancement has taken place in society. It would therefore be wrong to assume that there would be no development if the internet was not invented.

While the internet has been hailed as the “most important technology” developed, it has led to much harm to society. This paper has argued that the world would be a better place if the internet had not been invented. To buttress this assertion, the paper has highlighted how the internet has contributed to the rising insecurity and violence in the world. The internet has made it easy for international terrorism organizations to expand their influence.

It has noted that governments can infringe upon the freedom of their citizens more efficiently because of the internet. The paper has also highlighted the contribution that the internet has played to moral decay. However, the paper has also acknowledged the positive contributions that the internet has played in society. Even so, the positive contributions are outweighed by the negative influences that the internet has had. It can therefore be declared that the society would be better off if the internet had never been invented.

BBC. The internet and Pornography . 2011. Web.

Knut, Blind. The Internet as Enabler for New Forms of Innovation: New Challenges for Research. 2011. Web.

Schmitt, Eric. Boston Plotters Said to Initially Target July 4 for Attack . 2013. Web.

Schneier, Bruce. The internet is a surveillance State . 2013. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2018, December 19). Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/

"Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay." IvyPanda , 19 Dec. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay'. 19 December.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/.

1. IvyPanda . "Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/.

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IvyPanda . "Has the Internet Positively or Negatively Impacted Human Society? Argumentative Essay." December 19, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/has-the-internet-had-an-overall-positive-or-negative-effect-on-the-society/.

Essay on Internet

Here we have shared the Essay on Internet in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 250, 400, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Internet for any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or preparing for answer writing in competitive exams. 

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Internet in 150 words

Essay on internet in 250-400 words, essay on internet in 500-1000 words.

The Internet has revolutionized communication, information access, and business operations. It connects people globally, enabling faster and more convenient communication through email, instant messaging, and social media. It democratizes information, providing vast knowledge and resources at our fingertips. The Internet has also transformed businesses, allowing them to reach a global customer base through e-commerce. However, challenges like online privacy and the digital divide remain. Privacy concerns require protection measures, and efforts are needed to bridge the gap in Internet access based on geography and socioeconomic factors. Despite these challenges, the Internet continues to shape our lives, offering immense potential for positive change and advancement. It is a powerful tool that connects people, empowers individuals with knowledge, and provides opportunities for businesses to thrive in the digital era.

The Internet has become an indispensable part of our lives, transforming the way we communicate, access information, and conduct business. It is a vast network of interconnected computers and servers that enables the sharing and exchange of data worldwide.

One of the most significant impacts of the Internet is its ability to revolutionize communication. With the advent of email, instant messaging, and social media platforms, communication has become faster, more convenient, and more accessible. People can connect with each other instantly, regardless of geographical distances. Social media platforms have also provided new avenues for individuals to express themselves, share ideas, and build virtual communities.

Moreover, the Internet has democratized access to information. With a few clicks, anyone can access a wealth of knowledge on almost any topic. Online libraries, databases, and search engines have made information easily accessible, empowering individuals to learn, research, and stay informed. This unprecedented access to information has transformed education, enabling online learning platforms and resources to reach learners across the globe.

In addition to communication and information access, the Internet has revolutionized business operations. E-commerce has witnessed significant growth, allowing businesses to reach a global customer base and conduct transactions online. Online platforms have opened up new opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation, enabling small businesses to thrive and compete on a global scale.

However, the Internet also poses challenges. Online privacy and security have become major concerns, with the risk of data breaches, identity theft, and cybercrime. Safeguarding personal information and practicing responsible online behavior is essential to protect oneself in the digital realm.

Furthermore, the digital divide remains a significant issue. While the Internet has connected billions of people worldwide, there are still disparities in access based on geography, income, and socioeconomic factors. Bridging this divide is crucial to ensure equal opportunities for all.

In conclusion, the Internet has revolutionized communication, information access, and business operations. It has connected people globally, democratized knowledge, and opened up new opportunities. However, challenges like online privacy and the digital divide need to be addressed. The Internet is a powerful tool that has transformed our lives and society, and its continued advancement requires responsible use and efforts to ensure inclusivity and security in the digital age.

Title: The Internet – Connecting the World in the Digital Age

Introduction :

The Internet has emerged as one of the most transformative technologies in human history. It has revolutionized communication, transformed information access, and reshaped the way we conduct business. This essay explores the origins and evolution of the Internet, its impact on communication and information access, the role of the Internet in business and entrepreneurship, as well as its social and cultural implications.

Origins and Evolution of the Internet

The Internet’s origins can be traced back to the 1960s when it was developed as a research project by the United States Department of Defense. Initially known as ARPANET, it was designed to create a decentralized network that could withstand a nuclear attack. Over time, the Internet expanded beyond its military origins, becoming a global network of interconnected computers and servers.

Communication Revolution

The Internet has transformed communication, making it faster, more convenient, and more accessible than ever before. Email, instant messaging, and social media platforms have revolutionized the way people connect and interact. Distance is no longer a barrier, and individuals can communicate in real time across continents. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, have provided new avenues for self-expression, networking, and building virtual communities.

Information Access and Knowledge Sharing

The Internet has democratized access to information, fundamentally changing the way we seek and share knowledge. Online libraries, databases, and search engines have made a vast amount of information easily accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. Websites, blogs, and online forums serve as platforms for individuals to share their expertise, experiences, and opinions. Online educational platforms have also emerged, offering courses and resources that reach learners across the globe, revolutionizing education and lifelong learning.

The Internet and Business

The Internet has transformed the business landscape, offering new opportunities and challenges. E-commerce has witnessed tremendous growth, allowing businesses to reach a global customer base and conduct transactions online. Online marketplaces, such as Amazon and eBay, have revolutionized retail, providing convenience and variety to consumers. Moreover, the Internet has enabled small businesses and entrepreneurs to compete on a global scale, as they can establish an online presence and reach customers without the need for physical storefronts.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Internet has fueled entrepreneurship and innovation, empowering individuals to turn their ideas into viable businesses. Online platforms and marketplaces have facilitated the launch of startups, creating a fertile ground for innovation and creativity. Crowdfunding platforms have democratized access to funding, allowing entrepreneurs to secure capital from a global community of investors. The Internet has also facilitated collaboration and knowledge sharing among entrepreneurs, enabling them to learn from each other and form strategic partnerships.

Social and Cultural Implications

The Internet has had profound social and cultural implications. It has connected people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, fostering a global exchange of ideas and perspectives. Social media has become a powerful tool for social and political movements, enabling grassroots activism and mobilization. However, the Internet has also given rise to challenges such as cyberbullying, misinformation, and the erosion of privacy. Society is grappling with issues related to digital citizenship, online ethics, and the balance between freedom of expression and responsible behavior.

Conclusion :

The Internet has revolutionized communication, transformed information access, and reshaped the business landscape. It has connected people globally, facilitated knowledge sharing, and fostered entrepreneurship and innovation. However, challenges related to privacy, cybersecurity, and the digital divide remain. As the Internet continues to evolve, it is crucial to strike a balance between the opportunities it presents and the responsibilities it entails. The Internet has become an integral part of our lives, and navigating its impact requires thoughtful engagement, ethical practices, and continuous adaptation to the ever-changing digital landscape.

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Essay on Internet

• Updated on  
• Oct 1, 2021

With throat-cutting competition, the difficulty level of various competitive exams has increased. Apart from domain-specific knowledge, questions framed in various exams evaluate critical thinking and decision-making ability, reading and writing skills, and  Logical and Analytical Reasoning . It thus has become important to focus on all the components equally. Just like the aforementioned topics, Essay writing is another crucial element of a wide range of entrance tests like IELTS , TOEFL , UPSC exams , etc. The topics for essays can range from Digital India and Economic issues to the role of Education and Women Empowerment . In this blog, we will share some samples of essays on the internet with you!

Uses of Internet Essay

Essay on advantages and disadvantages of internet, tips to write an essay on the internet .

Here are some of the tips which you can follow in order to write an impressive essay on the internet. 

• Your essay on the internet should be clear and concise with appropriate information. 
• Research meticulously before you start writing an essay on the internet.
• Add both, advantages and disadvantages of using it.  
• Write the content in paragraphs. 
• Avoid the use of jargons and slangs. 
• Keep the tone formal. 
• You can also add statistical data.

The internet is a worldwide network of computer networks that connects millions of people in over 150 countries. Using the internet, you can send emails, chat with people, and obtain information on different variety of subjects. 

Internet can be used for multiple purposes including finding information, communicate with people, shop online, manage your finances, etc.

The first workable prototype of internet came in the late 1960s with creation of ARPANET or the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. ARPANET used packet switching to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single network.

In order to complete your application process for studying abroad, apart from the basic documents, you also need to submit a personal essay / statement of purpose as it elucidates your motive to take admission in a particular course and university and also shed light on your career goals. It thus needs to be impressive! Take the assistance from the experts at Leverage Edu who will help you write an SOP that will highlight your achievements, purpose and future goals in a very lucid yet impeccable way!

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Essay on Internet Uses For Students

500 + words internet essay.

The internet is described as a global network of computer systems interconnected and following the internet security protocol. However, have you ever considered why the internet is important? This 500+ Words Essay on internet advantages and disadvantages will help students ace essay writing during exams.

A combination of high-end science and advanced technology, the internet is a viral invention. Here, in an essay on the internet, students can learn about the uses and impact of the internet.

Why the Internet Is Important

The internet has undergone significant development from the time of its birth to the present. Over a period of time, the internet has become more interactive and user-friendly. It has also helped man in day-to-day transactions and interactions. The Internet is widely used for numerous functions such as learning, teaching, research, writing, sharing content or data, e-mails, job hunting, playing games, listening to music, watching videos, exploring and finally surfing the internet. Meanwhile, though it makes life easy for people, the internet also comes with a lot of pros and cons. Find the advantages and disadvantages of the internet from this essay.

Also read: History of Internet

Essay on Advantages of Internet

Read this essay on internet advantages to know the effects of using the internet. Look for the points mentioned below.

• The internet has helped reduce the usage of paper and paperwork to a large extent by computerising offices, schools, NGOs, industries and much more.
• Internet helps to provide updated information and news from all over the world
• Education, business and travel have been thriving with the growth of the Internet
• The internet is of high educational and entertainment value
• The internet makes access to public resources, libraries and textbooks much easier
• The internet makes it easy by reducing the time and energy taken to do work
• Work has become more efficient, quick and accurate
• Meetings and conferences are made easier with video calls and other brilliant tools

Apart from all these, as mentioned in the above paragraph on Internet uses, it helps carry out banking activities, exchange information, shop for various goods and more.

Essay on Internet Disadvantages

Despite the use of the internet and its positives, there are also some internet disadvantages. Continuous use of the internet can affect our lifestyle and health. Let us check out the disadvantages of the internet from this paragraph.

• Over-dependence on the internet can lead to many health problems
• People tend to spend more of their productive time doing nothing but browsing
• Even if the internet is now used extensively at work, overuse of the internet could lead to depression
• Quality time with friends and relatives is primarily reduced due to the use of the internet
• Cybercrime has also increased as internet security and privacy are compromised

Thus, we have seen the uses of the internet and its impact on students and working professionals. While we know that overuse of the internet should be avoided, we also have to acknowledge that the internet has still not been exploited to its full potential, despite its massive growth. In conclusion, we can state that to make internet use more comfortable and pleasurable, school students should be taught about the pros and cons of using the internet, thus ensuring that they can stand up against cybercrime and ensure safety.

Also Read: Social Media Essay | Essay on Women Empowerment | Essay On Constitution of India

Frequently asked Questions on Internet Essay

What is the internet.

The internet is a global system of interconnected computers and this system uses a standardised Internet Protocol suite for communication and sharing information.

What are the top 5 uses of the Internet?

The Internet is mostly used by people to send emails and to search on any topic. It can be used to download large files. People depend on the internet for electronic news and magazines these days. A lot of people, especially the young generation use it to play interactive games and for entertainment.

What is WiFi?

WiFi is the latest wireless technology used to connect computers, tablets, smartphones and other electronic devices to the internet.

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• World Psychiatry
• v.18(2); 2019 Jun

The “online brain”: how the Internet may be changing our cognition

Joseph firth.

1 NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, Australia

2 Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

3 Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

John Torous

4 Division of Digital Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Brendon Stubbs

5 Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK

6 Physiotherapy Department, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

Josh A. Firth

7 Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

8 Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Genevieve Z. Steiner

9 Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia

10 Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK

Mario Alvarez‐Jimenez

11 Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

John Gleeson

12 School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia

Davy Vancampfort

13 Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

14 University Psychiatric Center, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Christopher J. Armitage

15 NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK

16 NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, Manchester, UK

Jerome Sarris

17 Professorial Unit, The Melbourne Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Australia

The impact of the Internet across multiple aspects of modern society is clear. However, the influence that it may have on our brain structure and functioning remains a central topic of investigation. Here we draw on recent psychological, psychiatric and neuroimaging findings to examine several key hypotheses on how the Internet may be changing our cognition. Specifically, we explore how unique features of the online world may be influencing: a) attentional capacities, as the constantly evolving stream of online information encourages our divided attention across multiple media sources, at the expense of sustained concentration; b) memory processes, as this vast and ubiquitous source of online information begins to shift the way we retrieve, store, and even value knowledge; and c) social cognition, as the ability for online social settings to resemble and evoke real‐world social processes creates a new interplay between the Internet and our social lives, including our self‐concepts and self‐esteem. Overall, the available evidence indicates that the Internet can produce both acute and sustained alterations in each of these areas of cognition, which may be reflected in changes in the brain. However, an emerging priority for future research is to determine the effects of extensive online media usage on cognitive development in youth, and examine how this may differ from cognitive outcomes and brain impact of uses of Internet in the elderly. We conclude by proposing how Internet research could be integrated into broader research settings to study how this unprecedented new facet of society can affect our cognition and the brain across the life course.

The Internet is the most widespread and rapidly adopted technology in the history of humanity. In only decades, Internet use has completely re‐invented the ways in which we search for information, consume media and entertainment, and manage our social networks and relationships. With the even more recent advent of smartphones, Internet access has become portable and ubiquitous to the point at which the population of the developed world can be considered “online” 1 , 2 , 3 .

However, the impact that this new channel for connection, information, communication, and screen time is having on our brains and cognitive functioning is unclear. Prior to the Internet, a large body of research had convincingly demonstrated that the brain is somewhat malleable to environmental demands and stimuli, particularly with regards to learning new processes, due to its capacity for neuroplasticity 4 . Various scenarios have been observed to induce long‐term changes in the neuronal architecture of the human brain, including second‐language acquisition 5 , learning new motor skills (such as juggling) 6 , and even formal education or exam preparation 7 . The widespread use of the Internet across the globe has introduced, for many, the necessity and opportunity to learn a myriad of new skills and ways to interact with society, which could bring about neural changes. As an example, even simple interactions with the Internet through the smartphone's touchscreen interface have been demonstrated to bring about sustained neurocognitive alterations due to neural changes in cortical regions associated with sensory and motor processing of the hand and thumb 8 . Beyond this, the Internet also presents a novel platform for almost‐endless learning of new information and complex processes, relevant to both the online and offline world 9 .

Along with neuroplastic mechanisms, other environmental and biological factors can also cause changes in the brain's structure and function, resulting in cognitive decline 10 . In aging samples, for instance, there is evidence to indicate that age‐related cognitive decline may be partly driven by a process of atrophy. Some studies have shown that adopting a less engaging lifestyle across the lifespan may accelerate loss of cognitive function 11 , due to lower “cognitive reserve” (the ability of the brain to withstand insult from age and/or pathology) 12 . Some emerging evidence indicates that disengaging from the “real world” in favor of virtual settings may similarly induce adverse neurocognitive changes. For example, a recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) 13 found that six weeks of engaging in an online role playing game caused significant reductions in grey matter within the orbitofrontal cortex – a brain region implicated in impulse control and decision making. However, the study did not address the extent to which these results were specific to online gaming, rather than general internet usage. Nonetheless, this raises the possibility that various types of Internet usage could differentially affect the brain and cognitive processes – in both adverse and beneficial ways. This may be of particular relevance to the developing brains of children and adolescents, as many cognitive processes (particularly those relevant to higher executive functions and social cognition) are not entirely innate, but rather are strongly influenced by environmental factors 14 .

Although only recently emerging, this possibility has led to a substantial body of research empirically investigating the multiple potential pathways through which the Internet could affect our brains’ structure, function, and cognitive development. Specifically, the bulk of existing research can be separated into three specific domains, examining how the internet is affecting: a) attention (i.e., how the constant influx of online information, prompts and notifications competing for our attention may encourage individuals to displace their concentration across multiple incoming media streams – and the consequences this may have for attentional‐switching versus sustained‐attention tasks); b) memory and knowledge (i.e., the extent to which we rely on the Internet as our primary informational resource, and how unique properties of online information access may affect how we process new memories and value our internal knowledge); c) social cognition (along with the personal and societal consequences of increasingly embedding our social networks, interactions, and status within the online world).

In this state‐of‐the‐art review, we present the current leading hypotheses of how the Internet may alter these cognitive processes, subsequently examining the extent to which these hypotheses are supported by recent findings from psychological, psychiatric and neuroimaging research. In this way, we aggregate the contemporary evidence arising from multiple fields of research to produce revised models on how the Internet may be affecting our brains and cognition. Furthermore, whereas studies to date have focused upon only specific age groups, we examine the effects of the Internet on the human brain across the entire life course. In particular, we explore how the potential benefits/drawbacks of extensive Internet integration with cognitive processes may differ among children and older adults. Finally, we identify important gaps in the existing literature to present key priorities for future research in order to gain new insights for minimizing detrimental effects of the Internet, while capitalizing on this new feature of our societies to potentially influence neurocognitive processes in a beneficial way.

“DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS”: A HIJACK OF ATTENTION ON THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY?

How does the internet gain and sustain our attention.

The Internet consumes a considerable chunk of our attention on a day‐to‐day basis. The vast majority of adults go online daily, and over a quarter report being online “almost constantly” 2 . Within this, one in five American adults are now “smartphone‐only” Internet users 1 . Importantly, the introduction of these Internet‐enabled mobile devices has also reduced the “digital divide” previously experienced by lower and middle income countries 15 . The amount and frequency of Internet usage is even more pronounced amongst younger people. Most adults today witnessed the beginning of the transition from “Internet‐free” to “Internet‐everywhere” societies. However, younger generations (termed “digital natives” 16 ) have been brought up entirely within a “connected world” , particularly in developed countries. Consequently, digital natives are often the first to adopt new online technologies as they arise 16 , and engage extensively with all existing features of the Internet. For instance, 95% of US teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% are online “almost constantly” 3 .

Multiple factors are driving the rapid uptake and extensive usage of Internet‐enabled technologies across the globe. This is partly due to the Internet now being unavoidable, ubiquitous, and a highly functional aspect of modern living. For instance, Internet use is now deeply entwined with education, travel, socializing, commerce, and the majority of workplaces. Along with pragmatic uses, the Internet also offers an endless array of recreational and entertainment activities, through podcasts, e‐books, videos, streaming movies and gaming. However, the ability of the Internet to capture and hold attention is not solely due to the quality of media content available online. Rather, it is also driven by the underlying design and presentation of the online world. One such example is the self‐evolving “attraction mechanism”; whereby aspects of the Internet that fail to gain attention are quickly drowned out in the sea of incoming information, while the successful aspects of the adverts, articles, apps or anything that does manage to capture our attention (even superficially) are logged (through clicks and scrolls), noticed (through online shares), and subsequently proliferated and expanded upon. Alongside this, leading technology companies have been accused of intentionally capitalizing on the addictive potential of Internet, by studying, testing, and refining the attention‐grabbing aspects of their websites and applications (“apps”) to promote extremely high levels of engagement, without due concern for user well‐being 17 .

Furthermore, even when not using the Internet for any specific purpose, smartphones have introduced widespread and habitual “checking” behaviours, characterized by quick but frequent inspections of the device for incoming information from news, social media, or personal contacts 18 . These habits are thought to be the result of behavioural reinforcement from “information rewards” that are received immediately on checking the device 19 , potentially engaging the cortico‐striatal dopaminergic system due to their readily available nature 20 . The variable‐ratio reinforcement schedule inherent to device checking may further perpetuate these compulsive behaviours 21 .

Cognitive consequences of the attention‐grabbing Internet

The unprecedented potential of the Internet to capture our attention presents an urgent need for understanding the impact that this may have on our thought processes and well‐being. Already, education providers are beginning to perceive detrimental effects of the Internet on children's attention, with over 85% of teachers endorsing the statement that “today's digital technologies are creating an easily distracted generation” 22 . The primary hypothesis on how the Internet affects our attentional capacities is through hyperlinks, notifications, and prompts providing a limitless stream of different forms of digital media, thus encouraging us to interact with multiple inputs simultaneously, but only on a shallow level, in a behavioural pattern termed “media multi‐tasking” 23 , 24 .

The seminal study by Ophir et al 23 was among the first to explore the sustained impact of media multi‐tasking on cognitive capacities. This was a cross‐sectional study of individuals who engaged in “heavy” (i.e., frequent and extensive) media multi‐tasking compared to those who did not. Cognitive testing of the two groups produced the then‐surprising finding that those involved in heavy media multi‐tasking performed worse in task‐switching tests than their counterparts – contrary to the authors’ expectation that the “extra practice” afforded by frequent media multi‐tasking would confer cognitive benefit in task‐switching scenarios. Closer inspection of findings suggested that the impeded task‐switching ability in heavy media multi‐tasking individuals was due to their increased susceptibility to distraction from irrelevant environmental stimuli 23 .

Since these initial findings, the effects of media multi‐tasking on cognition have come under increasing scrutiny, because the increasingly diverse forms of entertainment and activities available through the online world can further our capabilities (and temptation) of engaging in media multi‐tasking 25 , even on single devices. For instance, Yeykelis et al 26 measured participants’ media multi‐tasking between different types of online media content while using just one device (personal laptops), and found that switches occurred as frequently as every 19 seconds, with 75% of all on‐screen content being viewed for less than one minute. Measures of skin conductance during the study found that arousal increased in the seconds leading up to media switching, reaching a high point at the moment of the switch, followed by a decline afterward 26 . Again, this suggests that the proclivity for alternating between different computer windows, opening new hyperlinks, and performing new searches could be driven by the readily available nature of the informational rewards, which are potentially awaiting in the unattended media stream. Supporting this, the study also found that, whereas switching from work‐related content to entertainment was associated with increased arousal in anticipation of the switch, there was no anticipatory arousal spike associated with entertainment to work‐content switches 26 .

The growing concern around the increasing amount of media multi‐tasking with the spread of ubiquitous Internet access has resulted in further empirical studies. These have produced conflicting findings, with some failing to find any adverse effects on attention 27 , and others indicating that media multi‐tasking may even be linked to increased performance for other aspects of cognition, such as multisensory integration 28 . Nonetheless the literature, on balance, does seem to indicate that those who engage in frequent and extensive media multi‐tasking in their day‐to‐day lives perform worse in various cognitive tasks than those who do not, particularly for sustained attention 25 .

Imaging studies have shed light onto the neural differences which may account for these cognitive deficits. Functionally, those who engage in heavy media multi‐tasking perform poorer in distracted attention tasks, even though exhibiting greater activity in right prefrontal regions 29 . As right prefrontal regions are typically activated in response to distractor stimuli, the observed increases in recruitment of these regions alongside poorer performance suggests that heavy media multi‐taskers require greater cognitive effort to maintain concentration when faced with distractor stimuli 29 . Structurally, high levels of Internet usage 30 and heavy media multi‐tasking 31 are associated with decreased grey matter in prefrontal regions associated with maintaining goals in face of distraction (such as the right frontal pole and anterior cingulate cortex). However, the findings to date must be interpreted with caution, as various confounding factors may be affecting the results of these cross‐sectional imaging studies. Although the differences persist when controlling for general digital media use and other simple confounders (age, gender, etc.), further research is required to examine if the observed neural differences are specifically attributable to heavy vs. light media multi‐tasking, or in fact driven by broader differences in lifestyle between the two groups.

Given the amount of time that people now spend in media multi‐tasking via personal digital devices, it is increasingly relevant to consider not only sustained changes which arise in those who engage in large amounts of media multi‐tasking, but also the acute effects on immediate cognitive capacities. A meta‐analysis of 41 studies showed that engaging in multi‐tasking was associated with significantly poorer overall cognitive performance, with a moderate‐to‐large effect size (Cohen's d=–0.71, 95% CI: –0.86 to –0.57). This has been confirmed by more recent studies, further showing that even short‐term engagement with an extensively hyperlinked online environment (i.e., online shopping for 15 minutes) reduces attentional scope for a sustained duration after coming offline, whereas reading a magazine does not produce these deficits 32 .

Overall, the available evidence strongly indicates that engaging in multi‐tasking via digital media does not improve our multi‐tasking performance in other settings – and in fact seems to decrease this cognitive capacity through reducing our ability to ignore incoming distractions. Much of the multi‐tasking investigations so far have been focusing on personal computers. However, smartphone technologies may even further encourage people to engage in media multi‐tasking through high rates of incoming prompts from emails, direct messages and social media notifications occurring while both using and not using the device. Thus, along with determining long‐term consequences of media multi‐tasking, future research should examine how the constant multi‐tasking made possible by Internet‐enabled mobile devices may impact daily functioning through acute but high frequency effects.

Furthermore, both the immediate and chronic effects of media multi‐tasking are relatively unexplored in children and adolescents, who are the prime users of such technologies 33 and are at a phase of development that is crucial for refining higher cognitive abilities 14 . The first longitudinal study of media multi‐tasking in young people has recently found that frequent multi‐tasking behaviours do predict the development of attentional deficits specifically in early adolescents, but not in older teens 34 . Additionally, extensive media multi‐tasking during childhood and adolescence could also negatively impact cognitive development through indirect means, by reducing engagement with academic and social activities, as well as by interfering with sleep 35 , or reducing the opportunity to engage in creative thinking 36 , 37 . Clearly, further research is necessary to properly measure the effects of ubiquitous computing on children's cognitive development, and to find practical ways for ameliorating any detrimental impact this may be having.

“iFORMATION”: NEUROCOGNITIVE RESPONSES TO ONLINE INFORMATION GATHERING

The internet and transactive memory.

In response to the question “How has the Internet changed your life?” , some common answers include finding new friends, renewing old friendships, studying online, finding romantic relationships, furthering career opportunities, shopping, and travel 38 . However, the most common answer is people stating that the Internet has “changed the way in which they access information” 38 . Indeed, for the first time in human history, the majority of people living in the developed world have access to almost all factual information in existence literally at their fingertips.

Along with the obvious advantages, this unique situation also introduces the possibility of the Internet ultimately negating or replacing the need for certain human memory systems – particularly for aspects of “semantic memory” (i.e., memory of facts) – which are somewhat independent from other types of memory in the human brain 39 . An initial indication of Internet information gathering affecting typical memory processes was provided by Sparrow et al 40 , who demonstrated that the ability to access information online caused people to become more likely to remember where these facts could be retrieved rather than the facts themselves, indicating that people quickly become reliant on the Internet for information retrieval.

It could be argued that this is not unique to the Internet, but rather just an example of the online world acting as a form of external memory or “transactive memory” 40 , 41 . Transactive memory has been an integral part of human societies for millennia, and refers to the process by which people opt to outsource information to other individuals within their families, communities, etc., such that they are able to just remember the source of the knowledge, rather than attempting to store all of this information themselves 41 . Although beneficial at a group level, using transactive memory systems does reduce an individual's ability to recall the specifics of the externally stored information 42 . This may be due to individuals using transactive memory for “cognitive offloading” , implicitly reducing their allocation of cognitive resources towards remembering this information, since they know this will be available for future reference externally. This phenomenon has been demonstrated in multiple contexts, including those of team work 43 and other “non‐Internet” technologies (e.g., photography reducing individuals’ memories of the objects they photographed) 44 .

However, it is becoming clear that the Internet actually presents something entirely novel and distinct from previous transactive memory systems 45 , 46 . Crucially, the Internet seems to bypass the “transactional” aspect that is inherent to other forms of cognitive offloading in two ways. First, the Internet does not place any responsibility on the user to retain unique information for others to draw upon (as would typically be required in human societies) 45 . Second, unlike other transactive memory stores, the Internet acts as a single entity that is responsible for holding and retrieving virtually all factual information, and thus does not require individuals to remember what exact information is externally stored, or even where it is located. In this way, the Internet is becoming a “supernormal stimulus” 46 for transactive memory – making all other options for cognitive offloading (including books, friends, community) become redundant, as they are outcompeted by the novel capabilities for external information storage and retrieval made possible by the Internet.

How does a supernormal stimulus interact with normal cognition?

Unfortunately, the rapid methods of acquisition and constant availability of information afforded by the Internet may not necessarily lead to better use of information gained. For instance, an experimental study 47 found that individuals instructed to search for specific information online completed the information gathering task faster than those using printed encyclopedias, but were subsequently less able to recall the information accurately.

During Internet and encyclopedia information gathering tasks, functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine activation in the ventral and dorsal streams. These regions are referred to as the “what” and “where” streams, respectively, due to their indicated roles in storing either the specific content (ventral stream) or external location (dorsal stream) of incoming information 47 . Although there was no difference in activation of the dorsal stream, results showed that the poorer recall of Internet‐sought information compared to encyclopedia‐based learning was associated with reduced activation of the ventral (“what”) stream during online information gathering. These findings further support the possibility, initially raised by Sparrow et al 40 , that online information gathering, while faster, may fail to sufficiently recruit brain regions for storing information on a long‐term basis.

The potential for online searching to produce a sustained impact upon our cognitive processes has been investigated in a series of studies examining pre‐post changes following a six‐day Internet search training paradigm. In these studies, young adults were given an hour per day of Internet search tasks, and undertook an array of cognitive and neuroimaging assessments pre‐ and post‐training. Results showed that the six‐day Internet search training reduced regional homogeneity and functional connectivity of brain areas involved in long‐term memory formation and retrieval (e.g., temporal gyrus) 48 . This indicates that a reliance on online searching may impede memory retrieval by reducing the functional connectivity and synchronization of associated brain regions 48 . Furthermore, when faced with new questions after the six days, the training had increased participants’ self‐reported impulses towards using the Internet to answer those questions, which was reflected in a recruitment of prefrontal brain areas required for behavioural and impulse control 49 . This increased propensity for relying on Internet searches for gathering new information has been replicated in subsequent studies 50 , and is in keeping with the “supernormal stimulus” nature of the Internet, potentially suggesting that online information gathering quickly trains people to become dependent on this tool when faced with unknown issues.

However, despite the possible adverse effects on regular “offline” memory, the six‐days training did make people more efficient at using the Internet for retrieving information, as participants became faster at the search tasks, with no loss of accuracy 51 . Search training also produced increases in white matter integrity of the fiber tracts connecting the frontal, occipital, parietal and temporal lobes, significantly more than the non‐search control condition 52 . In other studies, cognitive offloading via digital devices has also been found to improve people's ability to focus on aspects that are not immediately retrievable, and thus remember these better in the future 53 .

These findings seem to support the emergent hypotheses that relying on the Internet for factual memory storage may actually produce cognitive benefit in other areas, perhaps by “freeing up” cognitive resources 54 , and thus enabling us to use our newly available cognitive capacities for more ambitious undertakings than previously possible 45 . Researchers advocating this view have pointed to multiple domains of collective human endeavor that have already been transformed by the Internet's provision of supernormal transactive memory, such as education, journalism and even academia 55 . As online technologies continue to advance (particularly with regards to “wearables”), it is conceivable that the performance benefits from the Internet, which are already visible at the societal level, could ultimately become integrated within individuals themselves, enabling new heights of cognitive function 56 .

Unfortunately, however, a more sobering finding with regards to the immediate possibility of ubiquitous Internet access enabling new heights of human intelligence is provided by Barr et al 57 , who observed that analytical thinkers, with higher cognitive capacities, actually use their smartphone less for transactive memory in day‐to‐day situations compared to individuals with non‐analytical thinking styles. Furthermore, the reduced smartphone usage in analytical versus non‐analytical thinkers was specific to online information searching, with no differences in social media or entertainment usages, thus indicating that the differences are likely due to the Internet furthering “cognitive miserliness” among less analytical thinkers 57 .

Alongside this, the increasing reliance on the Internet for information may cause individuals to “blur the lines” between their own capabilities and their devices’ 58 . In a series of experiments, Fisher et al 59 investigated how the Internet influences our self‐perceived knowledge. Results showed that online searching increases our sense of how much we know, even though the illusion of self‐knowledge is only perceived for the domains in which the Internet can “fill in the gaps” for us. The experiments also demonstrated how quickly individuals internalized the Internet's external knowledge as their own – as even immediately after using the Internet to answer the task questions, participants attributed their higher quality explanations to “increased brain activity” . More recent studies have shown that illusions of self‐knowledge similarly persist when using smartphones to retrieve online information 58 . As individuals become more and more connected with their personal digital devices (which are also always accessible), it seems inevitable that the distinction between self and Internet's abilities will become increasingly elusive, potentially creating a constant illusion of “greater than actual knowledge” among large portions of the population.

Overall, the Internet clearly can provide a “superstimulus” for transactive memory, which is already changing the way we store, retrieve, and even value knowledge. However, with popular online information sources such as Google and Wikipedia less than 20 years old, it is currently not possible to ascertain how this may eventually be reflected in long‐term changes to the structure and function of the human brain. Nonetheless, our constant connection with the online world through personal devices (i.e., smartphones), along with the emerging potential for more direct integration through wearable devices, certainly indicates that we are set to become more reliant on the Internet for factual information as time goes on. Also, whereas the studies described above have focused on factual knowledge, the Internet is also now becoming a superstimulus for spatial information (through providing constant access to online maps and global positioning system). As spatial memory is somewhat independent from semantic memory in the human brain 60 , further research should investigate the multitude of ways in which extensive use of these external memory systems may reduce, enhance or alter our cognitive capacities.

ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS: FAULTY CONNECTIONS, OR FALSE DICHOTOMY?

Human sociality in the online world.

Social relationships and having a sense of connection are important determinants of happiness and stress relief 61 , 62 , mental and physical well‐being 63 , 64 , and even mortality 65 . Over the past decade, the proportion of an individual's social interactions that take place online within social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) has grown dramatically 66 , 67 , and our connection with these sites is now strongly meshed with the offline world. The real‐world implications of this are perhaps best evidenced by the critical role that social media have played in multiple global affairs, including reportedly starting and precipitating the London Riots, the Occupy movement 68 , and even the Arab Spring 69 , along with potentially influencing the outcomes of the UK's European Union Referendum (“Brexit”) 70 and the 2016 US elections 71 . Clearly, understanding the shift from real‐world interactions into the online social environment (and vice versa) holds significance to almost all aspects of people's lives.

Our motivations towards using social media is broadly similar to the instinctual desires underlying “real world” social interactions, as people are drawn to online sociality in order to exchange information and ideas, along with gaining social support and friendships 72 . However, whether or not these virtual interactions engage the human brain in ways analogous to real‐world socialization remains a topic of debate since the turn of the century 73 . Whereas it would be highly beneficial if social media sites could fulfil the implicit human needs for social connection, it may be that the distinction between online and offline networks is so great that entirely different cognitive domains are involved in navigating these different environments 74 , 75 .

How does the online environment affect our fundamental social structures?

To investigate the neuroimaging correlates of offline and online networks, the seminal study by Kanai et al 74 collected real‐world social network size, online sociality (i.e., Facebook friends) and magnetic resonance imaging scans from 125 participants. Results showed that both real‐world social network size and number of Facebook friends were significantly associated with amygdala volume. As this has previously been established as a key brain region for social cognition and social network size 76 , these results present a strong case for the overlap between online and offline sociality in the human brain.

However, those authors also found that the grey matter volume of other brain regions (specifically, posterior regions of the middle temporal gyrus and superior temporal sulcus, and the right entorhinal cortex) were predicted by the numbers of participants’ Facebook friends, but held no relationship to their real‐world social networks. This suggests that certain unique aspects of social media implicate aspects of the brain that are not central in “real‐world” social settings. For instance, the tendency for online networks to encourage us towards holding many weak social connections, involving thousands of face‐to‐name pairs, could require high associative memory capacities, which is not typically required in real‐world networks (as these are comprised of fewer, but more familiar, relationships) 74 . As associative memory formation for name‐face pairs involves the right entorhinal cortex 77 , 78 , this could explain the exclusive relationship that this region holds with online social (but not real‐world) network size 74 .

Indeed, one key difference which may separate how the brain handles online and offline social networks is the unique capacity afforded by the Internet for people to hold, and simultaneously interact with, millions of “friendships” 79 , 80 . Empirical testing of this hypothesis is a most fruitful area of investigation stemming from research into the fundamental similarities and differences between these two social worlds at a biological level 66 . When defining “friendships” under a broad context (people who maintain contact and share an emotional bond) 66 , two patterns are prominent across a diverse range of real‐world social networks: a) the average individual has around 150 “friendships” (but this is highly variable between individuals), and b) this is made up of five hierarchical layers, consisting of primary partners, intimate relationships, best friends, close friends, and all friends, which follow a size‐scaling ratio of around 3 (i.e., each cumulative layer is 3 times bigger than the last), and therefore have set average (cumulative/inclusive) sizes of 1.5, 5, 15, 50 and 150 respectively 66 . The patterns of the average number of 150 total friendship connections, and the scaling sizes of the five hierarchical layers of relationships making this up, have been found across regions and time periods within various human organizations, ranging from hunter‐gatherer societies 81 , 82 and historical village populations 83 , armies 66 , residential camps 84 , to personal networks of modern Europeans 85 .

Thus, given the unprecedented potential that online social networks allow in terms of number of connections, and the varied contexts these take place over 79 , 80 , it is imaginable that this extraordinary environment may allow these two apparently set aspects of real‐world social networks to be bypassed. However, recent findings have confirmed that user‐to‐user friendship connections, posting patterns and exchanges within Twitter, Facebook, and even online gaming platforms, all indicate a similar average number of general friendships (around 150, despite high skew), along with maintaining the same scaled sizes of the hierarchical structure of the five distinct friendship layers (as determined by reciprocal communication exchanges) 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 . Therefore, even within the unique realms of online social networks, the most fundamental operations of human social networks appear to remain relatively unchanged 88 , 89 . So, it is highly conceivable that the social connections formed in the online world are processed in similar ways to those of the offline world, and thus have much potential to carry over from the Internet to shape “real‐world” sociality, including our social interactions and our perceptions of social hierarchies, in ways that are not restricted to the context of the Internet.

The driving forces that sustain the set structural patterns of social networks, even when faced with the immense connective potential of the online world, may be broadly explained by two overlapping mechanisms. First, constraints on social cognition within the human brain seem to carry over across social contexts 66 . For instance, humans struggle to engagingly interact with more than three individuals simultaneously in the real world, and this limitation on attention also appears to apply online 90 , 91 . This evidence is in agreement with the hypothesis that circumventing the cognitive constraints on social relationships may be difficult even when technology affords unnatural opportunities to do so 88 .

The second driver of set boundaries on social activity is that simple underlying factors may produce social constraints, even within online settings. Most obviously, investment in social relationships is limited by time constraints, and this may contribute to the set patterns of both the number and type of social connections 93 , 94 . In line with this, analyses across various social contexts have shown that temporal limitations govern the number of social interactions that individuals engage in, and how they distribute these across their different kinds of relationships 93 , 94 . Again, these general interaction rates remain similar within online social networks 87 , 88 .

The possibility that the parameters on all social networks (online or offline) are governed by basic underlying factors is further supported by research showing that similar structures also exist within simpler social systems, such as animal societies 66 , 95 . For instance, the sizes and scaling of hierarchical “friendship” layers found in online and offline human networks are also found in dolphins, elephants, and various primate species 96 , and the phenomena of humans increasing the number and strength of their social networks connections following the death of a friend on Facebook 97 is also seen in wild birds, which show compensatory up‐regulation of their social network connections upon experiencing the loss of a social associate 98 .

Supporting the idea that limited cognitive capacities govern our social structures is research showing that the brain regions predicting individual variation in social network size in humans also do so for macaques 99 . Strong support for simple underlying factors (such as time) governing our general patterning of social interactions can be found in studies demonstrating that entirely computationally simulated systems replicate some of the apparent complexities of human social networks, even under relatively simple rules 100 , 101 . Examples include agent‐based models generating similar social layering structures as humans when sociality is defined as time‐limited 100 .

In light of the current evidence regarding how the Internet may have affected human thinking surrounding social networks, it is undeniable that the online environment poses unique potential and context for social activity 79 , 80 , 102 , 103 , which may invoke some non‐identical cognitive processes and brain areas in comparison to the offline world 74 , 75 . Nevertheless, aside from these comparatively fine‐scale differences, it appears that our brains process the online and offline social networks in surprisingly similar ways, as demonstrated by the shared cognitive capacities and simple underlying factors ultimately governing their fundamental structure 87 , 88 . As such, the online social world has very significant implications for not only measuring and understanding human sociality, but also for governing the outcomes of social processes across various aspects of life.

Social cognitive responses to the online social world

Given the evidence above, an appropriate metaphor for the relationship between online and real‐world sociality could be a “new playing field for the same game” . Even beyond the fundamental structure, emerging research suggests that neurocognitive responses to online social occurrences are similar to those of real‐life interactions. For instance, being rejected online has been shown to increase activity in brain regions strongly linked with social cognition and real‐world rejection (medial prefrontal cortex 104 ) in both adults and children 105 , 106 , 107 . However, within the “same old game” of human sociality, online social media is bending some of the rules – potentially at the expense of users 17 . For instance, whereas real‐world acceptance and rejection is often ambiguous and open to self‐interpretation, social media platforms directly quantify our social success (or failure), by providing clear metrics in the form of “friends” , “followers” , and “likes” (or the potentially painful loss/absence of these) 107 . Given the addictive nature of this immediate, self‐defining feedback, social media companies may even capitalize upon this to maximally engage users 17 . However, growing evidence indicates that relying on online feedback for self‐esteem can have adverse effects on young people, particularly those with low social‐emotional well‐being, due to high rates of cyberbullying 108 , increased anxiety and depression 109 , 110 , and increased perceptions of social isolation and exclusion among those who feel rejected online 111 .

Another process common to human social behaviour in both online and offline worlds is the tendency to make upward social comparisons 112 , 113 . Whereas these can be adaptive and beneficial under regular environmental conditions 112 , this implicit cognitive process can also be hijacked by the artificial environmental manufactured on social media 113 , 114 , which showcases hyper‐successful individuals constantly putting their best foot forward, and even using digital manipulation of images to inflate physical attractiveness. By facilitating exposure to these drastically upward social comparisons (which would rarely be encountered in everyday life), online social media can produce unrealistic expectations of oneself – leading to poor body image and negative self‐concept, particularly for younger people 107 , 111 , 115 , 116 . For instance, in adolescents (particularly females), those who spent more time on social media and smartphones have a greater prevalence of mental health problems, including depression, than those who spent more time on “non‐screen” activities 116 , with greater than 5 hrs/day (versus 1 hr/day) associated with a 66% increased risk of one suicide‐related outcome 117 .

However, a causal relationship between high levels of social media use and poorer mental health is currently difficult to establish, as there is most likely a complex interaction between several confounding factors, including reduced sleep and in‐person social interaction, and increased sedentary behaviour and perceived loneliness 116 , 118 . Nonetheless, given the large amounts of social media use observed among young people, future research should thoroughly examine the potentially detrimental effects that this new setting for sociality may have on health and well‐being, along with aiming to establish the driving factors – such that adjustments can be made in subsequent iterations of social media in order to produce more positive outcomes.

Whereas young people with mental disorders may be the most vulnerable to negative input from social media, these media may also present a new platform for improving mental health in this population, if used correctly. In future, social media may also be exploited to promote ongoing engagement with Internet‐based interventions, while addressing key (but frequently neglected) targets such as social connectedness, social support and self‐efficacy, to aim to bring about sustained functional improvements in severe and complex mental health conditions 119 . To achieve these goals, online social media‐based interventions need to be designed to promote engagement by harnessing, in an ethical and transparent manner, effective strategies used by the industry. For instance, developing technologies which are increasingly adopted by online marketing and tech companies, such as natural language processing, sentiment analyses and machine learning, could be capitalized upon, for example making it possible to identify those at increased risk for suicide or relapse 120 , and rationalizing human driven support to those who need it most at the time they need it 121 . In addition, online systems will be able to learn from what helps individuals and when, opening a window into personalized, real time interventions 121 .

While the use of online social media‐based interventions is in its infancy, pioneering efforts indicate that these interventions are safe, engaging, and have the potential to improve clinical and social outcomes in both patients and their relatives 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 . That said, online interventions have failed up to now to be adopted by mental health services 128 , 129 . The main reasons include high attrition rates, poor study designs which reduce translational potential, and a lack of consensus around the required standards of evidence for widespread implementation of Internet‐delivered therapies 130 , 131 , 132 . Efforts are currently underway to determine the long‐term effects of the first generation of social media‐based interventions for mental illness via large randomized controlled trials 133 , 134 . Alongside this clinical use, developing public health strategies for young adults in the general population to avoid the potential adverse effects and negative aspects of typical social media are also warranted.

CONCLUSIONS AND DIRECTIONS

As digital technologies become increasingly integrated with everyday life, the Internet is becoming highly proficient at capturing our attention, while producing a global shift in how people gather information, and connect with one another. In this review, we found emerging support for several hypotheses regarding the pathways through which the Internet is influencing our brains and cognitive processes, particularly with regards to: a) the multi‐faceted stream of incoming information encouraging us to engage in attentional‐switching and “multi‐tasking” , rather than sustained focus; b) the ubiquitous and rapid access to online factual information outcompeting previous transactive systems, and potentially even internal memory processes; c) the online social world paralleling “real world” cognitive processes, and becoming meshed with our offline sociality, introducing the possibility for the special properties of social media to impact on “real life” in unforeseen ways.

However, with fewer than 30 years since the Internet became publicly available, the long‐term effects have yet to be established. Within this, it seems particularly important that future research determines the impact of the Internet on us throughout different points in the lifespan. For instance, the Internet's digital distractions and supernormal capacities for cognitive offloading seem to create a non‐ideal environment for the refinement of higher cognitive functions in critical periods of children and adolescents’ brain development. Indeed, the first longitudinal studies on this topic have found that adverse attentional effects of digital multi‐tasking are particularly pronounced in early adolescence (even compared to older teens) 34 , and that higher frequency of Internet use over 3 years in children is linked with decreased verbal intelligence at follow‐up, along with impeded maturation of both grey and white matter regions 135 .

On the other hand, the opposite may be true in older adults experiencing cognitive decline, for whom the online environment may provide a new source of positive cognitive stimulation. For instance, Internet searching engaged more neural circuitry than reading text pages in Internet savvy older adults (aged 55‐76 years) 9 . Furthermore, experimental studies have found that computer games available online and through smartphones can be used to attenuate aging‐related cognitive decline 136 , 137 , 138 . Thus, the Internet may present a novel and accessible platform for adults to maintain cognitive function throughout old age. Building from this, successful cognitive aging has previously been shown to be dependent upon learning and deploying cognitive strategies, which can compensate for aging‐related decline in “raw” memory capacities 139 . This has previously been referred to as optimizing internal cognitive processes (e.g., through mnemonic strategies), or taking advantage of cognitive offloading in traditional formats (list making, transactive memory, etc.) 139 . Nonetheless, as Internet‐based technologies become more deeply integrated with our daily cognitive processing (through smartphones, wearables, etc.), digital natives could feasibly develop forms of “online cognition” in the aging brain, whereby older adults can increasingly take advantage of web‐based transactive memory and other emerging online processes to fulfil (or even exceed) the typical capacities of a younger brain.

Although it is an emerging area of study, the same could apply for social aspects of the online world. Whereas young people seem particularly prone to the rejections, peer pressure, and negative appraisals this world may induce 107 , older adults may ultimately be able to harness social media in order to overcome isolation and thus continue to benefit from the diverse range of physical, mental and neurocognitive benefits associated with social connection 73 . Viewed collectively, the nascent research in this area already indicates that equivalent types of Internet usage may have differential effects on individuals’ cognitive and social functioning depending on their point in the lifespan.

For better or for worse, we are already conducting a mass‐scale experiment of extensive Internet usage across the global population. A more fine‐scale analysis is essential to gaining a fuller understanding of the sustained impact of this usage across our society. This could include measuring frequency, duration and types of Internet usage as a standard part of national data projects, for instance through collecting Internet data (from either device‐based or self‐report measures) in “biobank” assessment protocols. Combining this with the extensive genetic, socio‐demographic, lifestyle and neuroimaging data gathered by some ongoing projects, researchers could be able to establish the impact of Internet usage on psychological well‐being and brain functioning across entire populations (rather than the currently limited study samples), while also controlling for multiple confounders.

Overall, this early phase of the Internet's introduction into our society is a crucial period for commencing rigorous and extensive research into how different types of Internet usage interact with human cognition, in order to maximize our opportunities for harnessing this new tool in a beneficial manner, while minimizing the potentially adverse effects.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

J. Firth is supported by a Blackmores Institute Fellowship. J. Sarris is supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Research Fellowship (APP1125000). B. Stubbs is supported by the Health Education England and the National Institute for Health Research Integrated Clinical Academic Programme Clinical Lectureship (ICA‐CL‐2017‐03‐001). G.Z. Steiner is supported by an NHMRC‐Australian Research Council (ARC) Dementia Research Development Fellowship (APP1102532). M. Alvarez‐Jimenez is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (APP1082934). C.J. Armitage is supported by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the above‐mentioned entities.

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The Invention of the Internet

By: History.com Editors

Updated: October 28, 2019 | Original: July 30, 2010

Unlike technologies such as the light bulb or the telephone, the internet has no single “inventor.” Instead, it has evolved over time. The internet got its start in the United States more than 50 years ago as a government weapon in the Cold War. For years, scientists and researchers used it to communicate and share data with one another. Today, we use the internet for almost everything, and for many people it would be impossible to imagine life without it.

The Sputnik Scare

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world’s first manmade satellite into orbit. The satellite, known as Sputnik, did not do much: It relayed blips and bleeps from its radio transmitters as it circled the Earth. Still, to many Americans, the beach-ball-sized Sputnik was proof of something alarming: While the brightest scientists and engineers in the United States had been designing bigger cars and better television sets, it seemed, the Soviets had been focusing on less frivolous things—and they were going to win the Cold War because of it.

Did you know? Today, almost one-third of the world’s 6.8 billion people use the internet regularly.

After Sputnik’s launch, many Americans began to think more seriously about science and technology. Schools added courses on subjects like chemistry, physics and calculus. Corporations took government grants and invested them in scientific research and development. And the federal government itself formed new agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), to develop space-age technologies such as rockets, weapons and computers.

The Birth of the ARPAnet

Scientists and military experts were especially concerned about what might happen in the event of a Soviet attack on the nation’s telephone system. Just one missile, they feared, could destroy the whole network of lines and wires that made efficient long-distance communication possible. 

In 1962, a scientist from M.I.T. and ARPA named J.C.R. Licklider proposed a solution to this problem: a “galactic network” of computers that could talk to one another. Such a network would enable government leaders to communicate even if the Soviets destroyed the telephone system.

In 1965, another M.I.T. scientist developed a way of sending information from one computer to another that he called “packet switching.” Packet switching breaks data down into blocks, or packets, before sending it to its destination. That way, each packet can take its own route from place to place. Without packet switching, the government’s computer network—now known as the ARPAnet—would have been just as vulnerable to enemy attacks as the phone system.

On October 29, 1969, ARPAnet delivered its first message: a “node-to-node” communication from one computer to another. (The first computer was located in a research lab at UCLA and the second was at Stanford; each one was the size of a small house.) The message—“LOGIN”—was short and simple, but it crashed the fledgling ARPA network anyway: The Stanford computer only received the note’s first two letters.

The Network Grows

By the end of 1969, just four computers were connected to the ARPAnet, but the network grew steadily during the 1970s. 

In 1971, it added the University of Hawaii’s ALOHAnet, and two years later it added networks at London’s University College and the Royal Radar Establishment in Norway. As packet-switched computer networks multiplied, however, it became more difficult for them to integrate into a single worldwide “internet.”

By the end of the 1970s, a computer scientist named Vinton Cerf had begun to solve this problem by developing a way for all of the computers on all of the world’s mini-networks to communicate with one another. He called his invention “Transmission Control Protocol,” or TCP. (Later, he added an additional protocol, known as “Internet Protocol.” The acronym we use to refer to these today is TCP/IP.) One writer describes Cerf’s protocol as “the ‘handshake’ that introduces distant and different computers to each other in a virtual space.”

The World Wide Web

Cerf’s protocol transformed the internet into a worldwide network. Throughout the 1980s, researchers and scientists used it to send files and data from one computer to another. However, in 1991 the internet changed again. That year, a computer programmer in Switzerland named Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web: an internet that was not simply a way to send files from one place to another but was itself a “web” of information that anyone on the Internet could retrieve. Berners-Lee created the Internet that we know today.

Since then, the internet has changed in many ways. In 1992, a group of students and researchers at the University of Illinois developed a sophisticated browser that they called Mosaic. (It later became Netscape.) Mosaic offered a user-friendly way to search the Web: It allowed users to see words and pictures on the same page for the first time and to navigate using scrollbars and clickable links. 

That same year, Congress decided that the Web could be used for commercial purposes. As a result, companies of all kinds hurried to set up websites of their own, and e-commerce entrepreneurs began to use the internet to sell goods directly to customers. More recently, social networking sites like Facebook have become a popular way for people of all ages to stay connected.

HISTORY Vault: 101 Inventions That Changed the World

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Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Internet — The Advantages of the Internet

The Advantages of The Internet

• Categories: Internet

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Words: 804 |

Published: Jan 30, 2024

Words: 804 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, personal benefits, educational benefits, societal benefits, counterargument and refutation.

• Access to information: The internet offers a wide range of resources that provide individuals with access to a wealth of information. Research materials, academic papers, journals, and educational videos are readily available and can be accessed without leaving the comfort of one's home.
• Communication opportunities: Instant messaging and video calls have allowed individuals to connect with friends, family, and loved ones worldwide. Social media platforms have also provided new and exciting ways for people to communicate and share with one another.
• Entertainment and leisure options: Streaming services offer a plethora of movies and TV shows at one's convenience. Online gaming has allowed individuals to play and connect with gamers from all around the world, providing an avenue for socialization and entertainment.
• E-Learning and online education: The internet has made education available to anyone with a computer and access to the internet. E-learning has provided an avenue for individuals to gain knowledge and skills, irrespective of geographical barriers.
• Promotes collaborative learning: With online forums and discussion boards, learners can collaborate with others to discuss and share ideas. Virtual classrooms have facilitated group activities and project discussions, providing an avenue for interaction and knowledge sharing.
• Provides equal educational opportunities: The internet has created opportunities for those living in underprivileged areas to access quality education. It has also provided accessibility for disabled individuals who would otherwise be limited in their access to education.
• Economic growth and job opportunities: The internet has created numerous business and job opportunities for individuals, especially in the online space and freelancing. The global market reach has been particularly helpful in expanding businesses beyond geographical barriers.
• Enhanced communication and networking: The internet has facilitated international collaborations and provided an avenue for individuals and organizations to connect. Social media platforms have allowed individuals to create and maintain relationships with others, irrespective of geographical locations.
• Democratization of information: The internet has provided an avenue for citizen journalism and online activism, promoting awareness and participation in societal issues.
• Privacy concerns and cybercrime: The internet has made individuals' personal information vulnerable to hacking, which could lead to identity theft and other cybercrimes.
• Misinformation and fake news: The internet has made it easy for individuals to create and spread misinformation, which could have dire consequences on individuals and society.

References:

• Anderson, C. (2018). Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet. Toopics. Retrieved from https://toopics.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-internet/.
• Greenhow, C., Robelia, B., & Hughes, J. E. (2009). Learning, teaching, and scholarship in a digital age : Web 2.0 and classroom research: What path should we take now?. Educational researcher, 38(4), 246-259.
• Walter, S. G., & Su, F. (2011). E-learning 2.0: Social networking and collaboration in learning and teaching. Journal of educational technology development and exchange, 4(1), 1-14.
• Yang, D., & Chen, C. C. (2018). Play, knowledge, and learning: Gaming cultures and the learning society. Peter Lang.
• Taiwo, A. A., & Downe, A. G. (2013). E-learning in Nigeria: bridging the knowledge divide. Journal of education and practice, 4(8), 94-101.
• Hong, Y. Y., & Chan, K. F. (2019). The role of Internet technology in shaping and facilitating international business growth. Journal of International Business Research and Marketing, 4(4), 60-70.
• Moorthy, K., Kong, H. J., & Thatcher, M. (2017). Globalization, networked society , and cultural software: The emergence of a new social order. Routledge.
• Smith, M. A. (2014). Politics, Democracy and the New Media. Routledge.
• Boyd, D. (2019). Media literacy in the digital age. Routledge.

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Internet Essay

Social interaction and the internet essay.

Below is an  Internet essay  connected to social interaction.

The IELTS test usually focuses on topical issues, and this certainly falls into this category as you have probably seen this issue discussed on TV and online.

You have to discuss if you think that the Internet is damaging social interaction.

The question also mentions the matter of the Internet opening up communication world-wide, so you should also discuss this in your answer.

Always look at the question carefully and  underline the key points  made in the prompt to ensure you do not miss anything.

Of course you should always do a quick plan for your internet essay, as with any essay, before you start to write.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time they spend with real human beings. Some people say that instead of seeing the Internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities world- wide, we should be concerned about the effect this is having on social interaction.

How far do you agree with this opinion?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

Internet Essay - Model Answer

It is evident that, at present, people are spending a considerable amount of time on the Internet, and thus spending less time with real people. I strongly agree that although this use of the Internet has greatly increased the level of communication available, it has also had detrimental effects on the amount and type of social interaction that takes place.

The benefits of the Internet in terms of increased communication are clear, with people connected across the globe. In the past, communication was only possible by phone or mail, which entailed time and expense. It also usually meant just keeping in contact with those people already known to you. With the internet, this has changed dramatically. Email and social networking sites such as Facebook and MSN have created online communities that are global in scale, and they have fostered communication between people and countries that we would not have thought possible in the not too distant past.

That said, there is no doubt in my mind that this has had negative impacts on social interaction. People, especially the younger generation, spend hours of their time online, chatting and on forums. Although this can be beneficial, it is certainly not the same as real interaction with human beings and does not involve the same skills. It is important that children have and maintain real friendships in order to develop their own interpersonal skills. Not only this, it can also have negative effects on local communities if people are spending most of their time communicating online and not mixing in their neighbourhoods, and possibly lead to feelings of isolation for those individuals who do not have a ‘real’ person to turn to in times of need.

To conclude, I believe that the internet has undoubtedly been beneficial, but there are good reasons to be concerned about social interaction in our societies. It is therefore important that we maintain a balance between our online life and our contact with real human beings.

( 328 Words )

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Essay on Uses of Internet for Students and Children

500 words essay on uses of internet.

The Internet has become a sensation nowadays. It is something that humans cannot function without anymore. It has occupied a great part of our lives. We use the internet for almost every little and a big task now. It ranges from searching for a job to listening to music.

The Internet has basically made our lives easier and convenient. The world is at our fingertips now, thanks to the internet. When we see how it has changed the scenario of the modern world, we can’t help but notice its importance. It is used in all spheres of life now.

Internet and Communication

The world has become smaller because of the internet. Now we can communicate with our loved ones oceans away. The days of letter writing are gone where we had to wait for weeks to get a reply. Everything is instant now. Even though telephones allowed us to do that, but the cost was too high. The common man could not afford to call people overseas because of the costs.

However, the internet changed that. Communicating with people both near and far is now easy and affordable. We can send them emails and chat with them through instant messaging apps. We may also video call them using the internet which allows us to see them clearly even though we are miles away.

Furthermore, we can now get instant news updates from all over the world. The moment anything takes place anywhere in the world, we get to know about it. In addition, we are informed about the natural calamities within the correct time. Moreover, we can easily contact our job recruiters using the internet. Job application has been made so much easier through the internet.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Internet and Entertainment

Entertainment and the Internet go hand in hand now. Everything is at your fingertips to enjoy. You can book movie tickets easily on the internet. Gone are the days of waiting in long queues to get the ticket for the latest movie. It can all be done through the comfort of your home. Similarly, you can also book match tickets and concert tickets without going through the hassle of standing in long lines.

In addition, we can now do all our shopping online. You won’t have to go out in the harsh weather to shop for stuff. The Internet allows you to browse through a large assortment of products with all the details given. It ranges from something as small as a mug to a laptop, you can have it all. Furthermore, you may also filter the categories to find exactly what you are looking for within seconds.

Nowadays, web series are quite a hit amongst the youth. They do not watch TV anymore; rather they enjoy the web series. Various platforms have created shows which they release on the internet that has a major fan following. You can get your daily dose of entertainment from the internet now. Whether you want to hear the latest music, you don’t have to spend a hefty amount to buy the CD. You can simply listen to it on the internet.

Thus, we see how the internet has changed and made our lives easy in various ways. We can connect with our loved ones easily and get access to unlimited entertainment instantly.

FAQs on Uses of Internet

Q.1 How does the internet help in communicating?

A.1 We can now communicate with our loved ones using the internet. We can video call them and connect with our relatives living overseas.

Q.2 What does internet offer in terms of entertainment?

A.2 Internet offers us various modes of entertainment. We can watch movies and shows online. We can also book tickets and shop for products online.

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Is the Internet bad for you? Huge study reveals surprise effect on well-being

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A global, 16-year study 1 of 2.4 million people has found that Internet use might boost measures of well-being, such as life satisfaction and sense of purpose — challenging the commonly held idea that Internet use has negative effects on people’s welfare.

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ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

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ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form .

What is ChatGPT and why does it matter? Here's what you need to know

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot with natural language processing (NLP) that allows you to have human-like conversations to complete various tasks. The  generative AI  tool can answer questions and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, essays, code, and more.

Also :  How to use ChatGPT: What you need to know now

It's currently  open to use for free . A paid subscription version called ChatGPT Plus launched in February 2023 with access to priority access to OpenAI's latest models and updates.

Who made ChatGPT?

AI startup OpenAI launched ChatGPT on November 30, 2022. OpenAI has also developed  DALL-E 2  and DALL-E 3 , popular  AI image generators , and Whisper, an automatic speech recognition system. 

Who owns ChatGPT currently?

OpenAI owns ChatGPT. Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI thanks to multiyear, multi-billion dollar  investments. Elon Musk was an investor when OpenAI was first founded in 2015, but has since completely severed ties with the startup and created his own AI chatbot, Grok .

How can you access ChatGPT?

On April 1, 2024, OpenAI stopped requiring you to log in to use ChatGPT. Now, you can access ChatGPT simply by visiting  chat.openai.com . You can also access ChatGPT  via an app on your iPhone  or  Android  device.

Once you visit the site, you can start chatting away with ChatGPT. A great way to get started is by asking a question, similar to what you would do with Google. You can ask as many questions as you'd like.

Also: ChatGPT no longer requires a login, but you might want one anyway. Here's why

There are still some perks to creating an OpenAI account, such saving and reviewing your chat history and accessing custom instructions. Creating an OpenAI account is entirely free and easy. You can even log in with your Google account.

For step-by-step instructions, check out ZDNET's guide on  how to start using ChatGPT . 

Is there a ChatGPT app?

Yes, an official ChatGPT app is available for both iPhone and Android users. 

Also: ChatGPT dropped a free app for iPhones. Does it live up to the hype?

Make sure to download OpenAI's app, as there are a plethora of copycat fake apps listed on Apple's App Store and the Google Play Store that are not affiliated with the startup.

Is ChatGPT available for free?

ChatGPT is free to use, regardless of what you use it for, including writing, coding, and much more. 

There is a subscription option , ChatGPT Plus, that users can take advantage of that costs $20/month. The paid subscription model guarantees users extra perks, such as priority access to GPT-4o and the latest upgrades. 

Also: ChatGPT vs ChatGPT Plus: Is it worth the subscription fee?

Although the subscription price may seem steep, it is the same amount as Microsoft Copilot Pro and Google One AI, Microsoft's and Google's premium AI offerings. 

The free version is still a solid option as it can access the same model and most of the same perks. One major exception: only subscribers get guaranteed access to GPT-4o when the model is at capacity. 

I tried using ChatGPT and it says it's at capacity. What does that mean?

The ChatGPT website operates using servers. When too many people hop onto these servers, they may overload and can't process your request. If this happens to you, you can visit the site later when fewer people are trying to access the tool. You can also keep the tab open and refresh it periodically. 

Also: The best AI chatbots

If you want to skip the wait and have reliable access, you can subscribe to  ChatGPT Plus  for general access during peak times, faster response times, and priority access to new features and improvements, including priority access to GPT-4o.

You can also try using Bing's AI chatbot, Copilot . This chatbot is free to use, runs on GPT-4, has no wait times, and can access the internet for more accurate information.

What is ChatGPT used for?

ChatGPT has many functions in addition to answering simple questions. ChatGPT can compose essays , have philosophical conversations, do math, and even code for you . 

The tasks ChatGPT can help with also don't have to be so ambitious. For example, my favorite use of ChatGPT is for help creating basic lists for chores, such as packing and grocery shopping, and to-do lists that make my daily life more productive. The possibilities are endless. 

ZDNET has published many ChatGPT how-to guides. Below are some of the most popular ones. 

Use ChatGPT to: 

• Write an essay
• Create an app
• Build your resume
• Write Excel formulas
• Summarize content
• Write a cover letter
• Start an Etsy business
• Create charts and tables
• Write Adruino drivers

Can ChatGPT generate images?

Yes, ChatGPT can generate images, but only for ChatGPT Plus subscribers. Since OpenAI discontinued DALL-E 2 in February 2024, the only way to access its most advanced AI image generator, DALL-E 3, through OpenAI's offerings is via its chatbot and ChatGPT Plus subscription.

Also: DALL-E adds new ways to edit and create AI-generated images. Learn how to use it

Microsoft's Copilot offers image generation, which is also powered by DALL-E 3, in its chatbot for free. This is a great alternative if you don't want to shell out the money for ChatGPT Plus.

How does ChatGPT work?

ChatGPT runs on a large language model (LLM) architecture created by OpenAI called the  Generative Pre-trained Transformer  (GPT). Since its launch, the free version of ChatGPT ran on a fine-tuned model in the GPT-3.5 series until May 2024, when the startup upgraded the model to GPT-4o. 

Also:   Here's a deep dive into how ChatGPT works  

With a subscription to ChatGPT Plus , you can access GPT-3.5, GPT-4, or  GPT-4o . Plus, users also have the added perk of priority access to GPT-4o, even when it is at capacity, while free users get booted down to GPT-3.5. 

Generative AI models of this type are trained on vast amounts of information from the internet, including websites, books, news articles, and more.

What does ChatGPT stand for?

As mentioned above, the last three letters in ChatGPT's namesake stand for Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT), a family of large language models created by OpenAI that uses deep learning to generate human-like, conversational text. 

Also: What does GPT stand for? Understanding GPT 3.5, GPT 4, GPT-4 Turbo, and more

The "Chat" part of the name is simply a callout to its chatting capabilities. 

Is ChatGPT better than a search engine?

ChatGPT is a language model created to converse with the end user. A search engine indexes web pages on the internet to help users find information. One is not better than the other, as each suit different purposes. 

When searching for as much up-to-date, accurate information as you can access, your best bet is a search engine. It will provide you with pages upon pages of sources you can peruse. 

Also: The best AI search engines of 2024: Google, Perplexity, and more

As of May, the free version of ChatGPT can get responses from both the GPT-4o model and the web. It will only pull its answer from, and ultimately list, a handful of sources, as opposed to showing nearly endless search results.

For example, I used GPT-4o to answer, "What is the weather today in San Francisco?" The response told me it searched four sites and provided links to them. 

If you are looking for a platform that can explain complex topics in an easy-to-understand manner, then ChatGPT might be what you want. If you want the best of both worlds, there are plenty of AI search engines on the market that combine both.

What are ChatGPT's limitations?

Despite its impressive capabilities, ChatGPT still has limitations. Users sometimes need to reword questions multiple times for ChatGPT to understand their intent. A bigger limitation is a lack of quality in responses, which can sometimes be plausible-sounding but are verbose or make no practical sense. 

Instead of asking for clarification on ambiguous questions, the model guesses what your question means, which can lead to poor responses. Generative AI models are also subject to hallucinations, which can result in inaccurate responses.

Does ChatGPT give wrong answers?

As mentioned above, ChatGPT, like all language models, has  limitations  and can give nonsensical answers and incorrect information, so it's important to double-check the data it gives you.

Also: 8 ways to reduce ChatGPT hallucinations

OpenAI recommends that you provide feedback on what ChatGPT generates by using the thumbs-up and thumbs-down buttons to improve its underlying model. You can even join the startup's Bug Bounty program , which offers up to $20,000 for reporting security bugs and safety issues.

Can ChatGPT refuse to answer my prompts?

AI systems like ChatGPT can and do reject  inappropriate requests . The AI assistant can identify inappropriate submissions to prevent the generation of unsafe content.

Also:  6 things ChatGPT can't do (and another 20 it refuses to do)

These submissions include questions that violate someone's rights, are offensive, are discriminatory, or involve illegal activities. The ChatGPT model can also challenge incorrect premises, answer follow-up questions, and even admit mistakes when you point them out.

These guardrails are important. AI models can generate advanced, realistic content that can be exploited by bad actors for harm, such as spreading misinformation about public figures and influencing elections .

Can I chat with ChatGPT?

Although some people use ChatGPT for elaborate functions, such as writing code or even malware , you can use ChatGPT for more mundane activities, such as having a friendly conversation. 

Also:  Do you like asking ChatGPT questions? You could get paid (a lot) for it

Some conversation starters could be as simple as, "I am hungry, what food should I get?" or as elaborate as, "What do you think happens in the afterlife?" Either way, ChatGPT is sure to have an answer for you. 

Is ChatGPT safe?

People are expressing concerns about AI chatbots replacing or atrophying human intelligence. For example, a chatbot can write an article on any topic efficiently (though not necessarily accurately) within seconds, potentially eliminating the need for human writers.

Chatbots can also write an entire essay within seconds, making it easier for students to cheat or avoid learning how to write properly. This even led  some school districts to block access  when ChatGPT initially launched. 

Also:  Generative AI can be the academic assistant an underserved student needs

Now, not only have many of those schools decided to unblock the technology, but some higher education institutions have been  catering their academic offerings  to AI-related coursework. 

Another concern with AI chatbots is the possible spread of misinformation. ChatGPT itself says: "My responses are not intended to be taken as fact, and I always encourage people to verify any information they receive from me or any other source." OpenAI also notes that ChatGPT sometimes writes "plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers."

Also:  Microsoft and OpenAI detect and disrupt nation-state cyber threats that use AI, report shows

Lastly, there are ethical concerns regarding the information ChatGPT was trained on, since the startup scraped the internet to train the chatbot. 

It also automatically uses people's interactions with the free version of the chatbot to further train its models, raising privacy concerns. OpenAI lets you turn off training in ChatGPT's settings.

Does ChatGPT plagiarize?

Yes, sort of. OpenAI scraped the internet to train ChatGPT. Therefore, the technology's knowledge is influenced by other people's work. Since there is no guarantee that when OpenAI outputs its answers it is entirely original, the chatbot may regurgitate someone else's work in your answer, which is considered plagiarism. 

Is there a ChatGPT detector?

Concerns about students using AI to cheat mean the need for a ChatGPT text detector is becoming more evident. 

In January 2023, OpenAI released a free tool to target this problem. Unfortunately, OpenAI's "classifier" tool could only correctly identify 26% of AI-written text with a "likely AI-written" designation. Furthermore, it provided false positives 9% of the time, incorrectly identifying human-written work as AI-produced. 

The tool performed so poorly  that, six months after being released, OpenAI it shut down "due to its low rate of accuracy." Despite the tool's failure, the startup claims to be researching more effective techniques for AI text identification.

Also: OpenAI unveils text-to-video model and the results are astonishing

Other AI detectors exist on the market, including GPT-2 Output Detector ,  Writer AI Content Detector , and Content at Scale's AI Content Detection  tool. ZDNET put these tools to the test, and the results were underwhelming: all three were found to be unreliable sources for spotting AI, repeatedly giving false negatives. Here are  ZDNET's full test results .

What are the common signs something was written by ChatGPT?

Although tools aren't sufficient for detecting ChatGPT-generated writing, a  study  shows that humans could detect AI-written text by looking for politeness. The study's results indicate that  ChatGPT's writing style is extremely polite . And unlike humans, it cannot produce responses that include metaphors, irony, or sarcasm.

Will my conversations with ChatGPT be used for training?

One of the major risks when using generative AI models is that they become more intelligent by being trained on user inputs. Therefore, when familiarizing yourself with how to use ChatGPT, you might wonder if your specific conversations will be used for training and, if so, who can view your chats.

Also:  This ChatGPT update fixed one of my biggest productivity issues with the AI chatbot

OpenAI will use your conversations with the free chatbot to automatically training data to refine its models. You can opt out of the startup using your data for model training by clicking on the question mark in the bottom left-hand corner, Settings, and turning off "Improve the model for everyone."

What is GPT-4?

GPT-4 is OpenAI's language model that is much more advanced than its predecessor, GPT-3.5. Users can access GPT-4 by subscribing to ChatGPT Plus for $20 per month or using Microsoft's Copilot.

Also: What does GPT stand for? Understanding GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and more

GPT-4 has advanced intellectual capabilities, meaning it outperforms GPT-3.5 in a series of simulated benchmark exams. The newer model also supposedly produces fewer hallucinations. 

What is GPT-4o?

GPT-4o is OpenAI's latest, fastest, and most advanced flagship model. As the name implies, it has the same intelligence as GPT-4. However, the "o" in the title stands for "omni," referring to its multimodal capabilities, which allow it to understand text, audio, image, and video inputs and output text, audio, and image outputs. 

Also:  6 ways OpenAI just supercharged ChatGPT for free users

The model is 50% cheaper in the API than GPT-4 Turbo while still matching its English and coding capabilities and outperforming it in non-English languages, vision, and audio understanding -- a big win for developers.

Are there alternatives to ChatGPT worth considering?

Although ChatGPT gets the most buzz, other options are just as good -- and might even be better suited to your needs. ZDNET has created a list of the best chatbots, which have all been tested by us and show which tool is best for your requirements. 

Also: 4 things Claude AI can do that ChatGPT can't

Despite ChatGPT's extensive abilities, there are major downsides to the AI chatbot. If you want to try the technology, there are plenty of other options: Copilot , Claude , Perplexity ,  Jasper , and more.  

Is ChatGPT smart enough to pass benchmark exams?

Yes, ChatGPT is capable of passing a series of benchmark exams. A professor at Wharton, the University of Pennsylvania's business school, used ChatGPT to take an MBA exam and the results were quite impressive. 

ChatGPT not only passed the exam, but the tool scored between a B- and a B. The professor, Christian Terwiesch, was impressed at its basic operations management, process analysis questions, and explanations.

OpenAI also tested the chatbot's ability to pass benchmark exams. Although ChatGPT could pass many of these benchmark exams, its scores were usually in the lower percentile. However, with GPT-4, ChatGPT can score much higher.

For example, ChatGPT using GPT-3.5 scored in the lower 10th percentile of a simulated Bar Exam, while GPT-4 scored in the top 10th percentile. You can see more examples from OpenAI in the chart below.

Can ChatGPT be used for job application assistance?

Yes, ChatGPT is a great resource to help with job applications. Undertaking a job search can be tedious and difficult, and ChatGPT can help you lighten the load. ChatGPT can build your resume  and write a cover letter .

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If your application has any written supplements, you can use ChatGPT to help you write those essays or personal statements . 

What are the most common ChatGPT plugins, and how do I use them?

Plugins allowed ChatGPT to connect to third-party applications, including access to real-time information on the web. The plugins expanded ChatGPT's abilities , allowing it to assist with many more activities, such as planning a trip or finding a place to eat. 

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On March 19, 2024, however, OpenAI stopped allowing users to install new plugins or start new conversations with existing ones. Instead, OpenAI replaced plugins with GPTs , which are easier for developers to build. 

Users can find 3 million ChatGPT chatbots, also known as GPTs, on the GPT store. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of spam in the GPT store.

What is Microsoft's involvement with ChatGPT?

Microsoft was an early investor in OpenAI, the AI startup behind ChatGPT, long before ChatGPT was released to the public. Microsoft's first involvement with OpenAI was in 2019, when the company invested $1 billion, and then another $2 billion in the years after. In January 2023, Microsoft extended its partnership with OpenAI through a multiyear, multi-billion dollar investment .

Also: ChatGPT vs. Copilot: Which AI chatbot is better for you?

 Neither company disclosed the investment value, but unnamed sources told Bloomberg that it could total $10 billion over multiple years. In return, OpenAI's exclusive cloud-computing provider is Microsoft Azure, powering all OpenAI workloads across research, products, and API services.

Microsoft has also used its OpenAI partnership to revamp its Bing search engine and improve its browser. 

On February 7, 2023, Microsoft unveiled a new Bing tool , now known as Copilot, that runs on OpenAI's GPT-4, customized specifically for search.

What does Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) have to do with ChatGPT?

In February 2023,  Microsoft unveiled  a new version of Bing -- and its standout feature was its integration with ChatGPT. When it was announced, Microsoft shared that Bing Chat, now Copilot, was powered by a next-generation version of OpenAI's large language model, making it "more powerful than ChatGPT." Five weeks after the launch, Microsoft revealed that Copilot had been running on GPT-4 before the model had even launched. 

How does Copilot compare to ChatGPT?

Copilot uses OpenAI's GPT-4, which means that since its launch, it has been more efficient and capable than the standard, free version of ChatGPT. At the time, Copilot boasted several other features over ChatGPT, such as access to the internet, knowledge of current information, and footnotes.

In May 2024, however, OpenAI supercharged the free version of its chatbot with GPT-4o. The upgrade gave users GPT-4 level intelligence, the ability to get responses from the web via ChatGPT Browse with Bing, analyze data, chat about photos and documents, use GPTs, access the GPT Store, and Voice Mode. Therefore, after the upgrade, ChatGPT reclaimed its crown as the best AI chatbot. 

What is Gemini and how does it relate to ChatGPT?

Gemini is Google's AI chat service, a rival to ChatGPT. On February 6, 2023, Google introduced its experimental AI chat service, which was then called Google Bard. Over a month after the announcement, Google began rolling out  access to Bard first via a waitlist . Now, it is available to the general public. 

Artificial Intelligence

Chatgpt vs. copilot: which ai chatbot is better for you, how to use chatgpt (and how to access gpt-4o), what does gpt stand for understanding gpt-3.5, gpt-4, gpt-4o, and more.