The internet is now officially everywhere! Not just on a computer anymore...no, now people use laptops, mobiles, and PDA's. Why has the internet grown so rapidly? Well it connects you to different people all around the world and serves many different purposes.

By using the internet we are able to talk to people from all around the world. We can play online games with them, chat with them, share files or photo's, and much more. It also allows us to stay in contact with family or friends who have moved abroad. I currently live in Holland where as the rest of my family are in England and calling can be very expensive - hence the use of programs such as Skype and MSN to stay in touch!

The internet also provides us with knowledge as we can find the answers to almost anything quickly and efficiently online. Search engines such as Google allow users to search through millions of pages to find any information that they need. This is useful if you are doing presentations and need statistics, or just need to check a definition of a word.

We can now also shop online. This is very useful when looking for a gift for someone as the internet has hundreds and hundreds of stores so you are bound to find something that the recipient will love! Working parents may also find this useful as you can also buy groceries and normal shopping online - so you don't have to take the children around a busy supermarket on a Saturday. There are also websites on the internet which will find the lowest price for an item or service that you have searched for, therefore meaning you save money in the long run!

Transactions can now be made a lot faster than before, with no need to wait several days for the money to leave or arrive in your account. You can transfer money to and from bank accounts instantly and with ease instead of having to go to the bank with three forms of ID and sign a few forms!

Ebay and many other auction sites rely on companies such as PayPal to carry out bidders transactions in order to purchase a product. Ebay is used by millions of people around the world and allows to people to buy things that they may not have been able to buy before - such as discontinued products or collectibles.

It also allows us to sell items on the internet, which gives a new business opportunity to people who wouldn't be able to run a business otherwise. There are millions of things which sell on the internet and people can now take advantage of that and sell their own goods or services. This is great because it doesn't cost much to set up and can add an extra bit of money for people who may be struggling with funds.

For all this it is amazing to think that the internet is almost dirt cheap. You don't need a great computer or router to be able to use the internet, and you can get the internet in bundle packages which include a phone line and television package. You can also have more than one computer or internet using device in the house and still pay the same price as you would have before! Most internet services providers such as Virgin have currently increased the internet speed but kept the price the same. There have also been discussions about making it easier to get every house hold on the internet, so what's not to love? It really is no surprise that the internet has grown the way it has when you look at all the advantages, and it is hard to think of what it was like before the internet was available!

Learn more about this author, Natalie M. Wolverson.
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