Time for a rant-post! Okay, no, not really: it will be decently presented. But, seriously, the facts need to be hammered in.
In relation to the topic, 'change' is quite a loose term. The Internet
can be beneficial. For example, tens of millions of internet users across the globe have access to online encyclopedias, resource sharing sites, and so on, thus opening a massive channel of information and data exchange that can have the effect of anything from expanding our general knowledge to assisting us in writing up a scholarly paper. However, while this is true, in my opinion, the cons
outweigh the pros by a fraction.
To put it into perspective yet be brief in doing so, excessive use of the Internet has created a dependancy - both academically and physically. Consider the former: who goes to their local library anymore to do research? Few to none. Why? Because you have the Internet! (And, please, don't use E-books as a retort, because that's just pathetic.) In the past, only those with higher degrees wrote academic resources such as books. Now, with blogs and forums, that precious value is diminished by how a simple, unlearned user can write up a post and fool many into believing it is authentic. (Wikipedia, for example?)
And, as for the physical part, simply taking a look at the
'How Many Hours A Day Do You Use the Computer' thread already tells us the extent to which this has developed. Thanks, in part, to the Internet, people now usually spend more than six hours daily in front of their computer. Side-effects? Well, according to medical studies, men who sit for more than six hours a day are 20% more likely to die at a much earlier age than men who sit for three hours a day.
* Or, consider how extensive use of the computer diminishes eyesight by developing myopia - or "near-sightedness".
*http://www.rense.com/general57/tvcpom.htm
What's my point? While the Internet has a rainbow of benefits, it's creating a dependancy that's causing us to forsake a more natural lifestyle in exchange for that of a couch-potato. Anyone who's watched Wall-E (as gay as it may have been) and recalled that scene with those fat people in the hovering seats will see what I'm illustrating.
When abused, use of the Internet can be destructive. When used in moderation, it can be beneficial. It's not the Internet that changes you, it's how you use it.
(It's quite likely someone is going to argue with the points I stated, or defend the aspects of the Internet which I attacked. This isn't a debate thread, and I am only making my opinion known.)
