Internet Addiction and Relationships :: Technology Computers Papers

More and more people are discovering that the Internet is not just a world in which information could be found about any and all subjects the human mind could possibly imagine. As people learn about the different advantages the World Wide Web has to offer them, they are also being warned about the various dangers existing in this mysterious world. Students are beginning to take classes from the comfort of their own homes, and teachers conduct their classes on the Internet, making them available to a number of students who would otherwise not be able to physically be present inside an actual classroom. The Internet is a way for family members living far from home, to keep close contact with their loved ones and it is a prime medium for friends living in various areas to communicate. Although the positive aspects of the Internet are quite obvious, the disadvantages that it encompasses make the Internet not just a dangerous place for some, but also a place where great mystery dwells. No one can ever be sure that the person they are speaking to is really who they say they are. Various issues about online relationships, friends and deception come up while on the net. Speak to any online "regular" and they'll tell you how important their anti-virus program is - you never know what you're actually downloading, until it's too late. As someone who has been going online from the age of 10, I have made the Internet part of my everyday life. While other people flip on their televisions to watch the morning news, as they get ready for work or school, I find myself switching on my computer. I wake up fifteen minutes earlier than I have to, just to be able to check my e-mails and weather before I leave my house. It does not end there. Upon arrival back home in the evening hours, the first thing I do as I enter my room is turn on the computer. Sometimes, I go as far as to bring dinner to the computer and eat while I read what people have sent me throughout the day. This is just concerning e-mails. What about the several chat services, through which over a hundred "friends" can send me messages and with whom I can chat? Hours can pass unnoticed when someone is online, talking to friends, reading various articles, and looking at different pictures.