Are we too Dependent on the Internet - 275 Words

Are we too Dependent on the Internet? (Essay Sample) Content: Are we too dependent on the internet?NameInstitutionAre we too dependent on the internet?Introduction Undoubtedly, the internet has become an integral resource in the contemporary society. There are a lot of activities, which are carried out online. Certainly, a significant portion of the current generation spends a considerable amount of time either plugged in to a computer or smart phone browsing the internet. Assertively, one could merely argue that dependence on the internet has continued to experience immense growth over the years; this presents a scenario where the internet is slowly becoming a form of basic need. Researchers have predicted that the internet will have even more influence in the future. A research carried out on behalf of the Strategic Foresight Initiative on Technological Development and Dependency, concluded that as at 2020, mobile phones will be primary gadgets to connect to the internet (FEMA, 2011). The research, conducted in 2011, stated th at Facebook, a well established social networking site, had around 500 million users; from this figure, 40% (200 million users) were found to access the site through mobile phones (FEMA, 2011). Further analysis of the results showed that if the trend continues, there will be approximately 6.9 billion subscribers of mobile phone as at 2002; demonstrating an alarming 67% increase since 2004, when there were only 1.8 billion subscribers (FEMA, 2011). In support of these statistics, Donna Haraway, a scholar, argues that mans inclination towards technology has turned him into a cyborg (1991). Through her theory, the cyborg theory, Haraway asserts that technology neither separates man from animal, nor man from machine (1991). Thus through innovation, man has been able to create a world where he or she can be multiple bodied. For this reason, increased usage of the internet is only an affirmation of the freedom that people experience in the virtual world; which, in the real world, they are deprived (Haraway, 1991). Therefore, for Haraway, the internet allows people to escape from reality and create their own ideal worlds. Conclusion Based on the information provided above and us...