by Lucius Trae

Created on: May 04, 2010

The Internet is a tool that can be used in a variety of ways. Throughout history, people have always had a tendency to blame things instead of people. If science invests a pill for something, someone is abusing it. If a new technology emerges, someone will put it to an unproductive use.

According to some, education used to be better. My generation is criticized for things like using calculators, typing notes, and researching on the Internet. As a university student, I am perfectly capable of mental math, writing and researching in the library. It's not always a lack of ability causing students to take the "easy way." The reality is that the "easy way" can be another word for "efficient." The quality of an education doesn't always decrease because of the Internet. In many cases, our education increases.

With the Internet, I can learn how to solve math problems I never learned in class. As an unchallenged student in a small high school, I frequently used the Internet to research a variety of topics. Wikipedia still remains one of my favorite websites, and it's far more accurate than a person might except. Additionally, my generation has grown up with mass media constantly bombarding us with exaggerations and false statements. In order to think for ourselves, we've had to develop keen awareness of our surroundings. We know when something isn't right online almost instinctively. I've explained situations where I avoided Internet scams to my parents and some friends. My parents all didn't understand why I thought a scam was occurring. My friends knew what I was going say before I finished the story. My parents are better at the skills that were important as they grew up. We have our own strengths and weaknesses.

Of course, it's important to remember that talking about generations shouldn't be wrongfully interpreted. Generations have traits that are common in the average person, but there are plenty of internet savvy adults and technologically ignorant youth. With technology, research becomes high efficient. Many Internet sources provide textual sources, and this allows students to find a book relevant to an assignment. In the past, I've done research projects by going to the library. If my topic was education, I'd browse the education system for relevant books. I'd flip through to check for quality, and I'd spend hours trying to find relevant material. I can find the most academically influential books on education through the Internet then go to the library. Time

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