I first explored the internet in my school library. I doubt my class suspected how essential it would become to everyday life in the years to come. For students back then, it was mostly a resource; a sort of limitless encyclopedia for relieving their every curiousity.

This is not the internet we know today. It has become a vending machine, an entertainment vessel, and a danger zone. It has changed into a tool that friends and business persons alike can use to shout across oceans. The net has lured a community of hopefuls with a desire to be heard. Opinions and causes can be sent to the desktop of unsuspecting victims, most of whom are more than willing to take notice. Free, convenient, and impersonal, the internet has become the best place for the average Joe to discover an audience.

It started with Classmates, which is still going strong, over ten years ago. Websites such as Facebook and Livejournal have added to the trend since then. Numerous limitless social networks have been appearing and growing, spreading like the plague. Most of use have caught the networking bug by now in one way or another.

Social networking has added a virtual hangout to the internet. It's an addictive waste of time for some. For others, it's a way to build "friendships" with people they will never meet. To many, it's simply a convenient way to keep in touch. It can also be the key to building an enormous fan base. No wonder over 200 million myspace accounts exist.

The internet is no longer just a source of history and weather reports, cheater's notes, advertisements, and e-mail sites. It's now an elemental part of life.

Because of our communication metropolis, writers don't have to step outside to promote their works. Activists don't need to picket. They can post blogs and bulletins instead. Friends don't need to meet in person before messaging each other for hours.

Though both upsides and downsides are evident, the pros outweigh the latter by far. It has never been so easy to reach such a massive array of people. Even more so than when the net emerged, social networking has made it into a bustling hub of communicative opportunity.

Learn more about this author, Shannon Beineke.
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