by Sharon Copeland

Created on: February 27, 2010

I am a huge fan of the Internet.  It can be used for so many different reasons.  It can give you answers and advice right at the touch of a finger instantly. I would be lost without my Internet, but that isn't always a good thing.  Like many other things that have good benefits, there is also a downside.  The Internet seems to be taking over the world person by person.  You can get addicted to using the Internet which can be a bad thing. Some people rely on computers too much.  Let's face it, you don't even have to have face to face conversations anymore thanks to Facebook and My Space.

Young people seem to have their electronic devices in front of their faces all day long connecting to the Internet in some way or another. Avoiding human contact can be bad when the person can no longer feel comfortable speaking or interacting with real people. Some people misdiagnose themselves with the help of the medical information that can be found on-line. Looking up symptoms can sometimes be helpful, but to use it instead of seeking professional medical advice is a negative effect.

Internet pornography is also part of the negative effects of the Internet. It is everywhere and is fast becoming a source of aggravation in many marriages and relationships.  Children are at risk due to the Internet also.  They can get on social networking areas or gaming sites and chat with people they don't know. Some predators pose as children while getting personal information out of our kids. This puts them at risk in several ways. Teenagers have also been known to hook-up with older dangerous adults, making arranged meetings with people they think are their own age.

Using the Internet to purchase things or pay bills is great, but there is a negative to that too.  It is giving people better ways to steal our identities. It is easy for some people to hack into our computers and gain financial information that they might not have had access to otherwise.

While the Internet can be a great thing, it should be used with caution and common sense.  It is like a vehicle, it can be used to take you anywhere in the world you want to go.  Wonderful things can come from it,  but it can also be deadly if used incorrectly.

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