The internet is quite an amazing place that has allowed for so many innovations and connections in the modern world. The internet and computers have been the catalyst for many discoveries and it continues to alter daily life of people and social norms. This is especially true with the introduction of the COVID-19 Virus to our daily lives and changing our routines as well. If this pandemic were to happen prior to the widespread of the internet and the advancements in technology, it would not have been handled nearly as well as it is right now. The internet has allowed us to adapt our daily lives and change our way of life because of the pandemic. A great example is school right now. We are currently doing online school from our homes. Needless to say, without the internet this would be impossible. The internet has also helped in other areas. The essentials that people need can now be gotten without having any personal interaction to reduce the spread of the virus. Services like door dash and other services that deliver goods and groceries to your home without contact has served to ease the anxiety of many and reduced the spread of the virus. The modern age of technology and the internet is the saving grace for our generations in this pandemic that seems to encompass our entire world and daily life.
1. What are some ways that the internet has positively impacted you in this pandemic that you are thankful for?
2. To what extent do you think that the internet has eased the minds of the general population or benefitted the well being of others?
3. What are some other ways that the internet has helped to influence people during the pandemic?
Undoubtedly the internet has helped me in basically every aspect for the last several months. Like many of the reasons listed in the article, food, items, information, and most importantly for me, school. Even before the pandemic my family used the internet a lot for many conveniences and the pandemic has simply amplified that need.
ReplyDeleteFor question 3, I'm gonna have to disagree with you here on a certain degree. Likewise the internet is the number one spreader of misinformation about the pandemic. False information circulates way too easily there, and it becomes hard for people to distinguish truth from fact after a while. Although the Internet still overall helps us more than it hurts us, there certainly are some side effects. Also, I personally am somewhat concerned about how much we rely on the internet now. The more crutches you have, the more it hurts when they're kicked out from underneath you. If some event happens, like a storm comes around and knocks the power out, we're screwed.
It is interesting to hear that your family had been utilizing these services to such a degree before the pandemic and the pandemic making those needs more prominent. I think that your disagreement on question 3 is definitely very valid. I think that are definitely goods and evils that come along with the increased connection and spread of ideas. I think it is definitely a valid concern about a power outage as we have become so reliant on the internet for our daily lives.
DeleteThe internet has positively impacted be in several ways. First, it provides entertainment and a needed distraction from the world and everything going on. It also allows me to connect with my friends and also meet new people since it's hard to meet new people in person right now. Despite these improvements I would say that the pandemic has created a bit of an unhealthy reliance on the internet and I find myself on it more and more, so overall it has not been entirely positive.
ReplyDeleteThe internet has positively impacted me during this pandemic because it is a space to learn pretty much anything that interests me for free. I can take advantage of the full extent of my curiosity in one place. Additionally, it's given me a means to connect with family that live abroad or too far to visit in a pandemic. Many of my older relatives are widowed, and being in a pandemic means their social schedules are virtually wiped clean for months on end. Getting that connection is significant for them and for I, especially since I cannot visit them face to face. The internet may have eased the mind of the general population or benefitted the well being of others through television and video games. Those forms of media help others disconnect and almost forget about our current global situation, giving them a much needed break for reality. I think the internet has greatly benefitted the general population in that regard, and also with things like Zoom, Whatsapp, or Facetime supporting connections with family and friends. I disagree with you on Question 3. While 'touchless' services such as Doordash or services that allow users to stay at home, the safer option, are quite beneficial, the spreading of misinformation and fake news casted a dark cloud on the 'saving grace' title. Because people are spending copious amounts of time at home on the internet without a job, they may be falling deeper and deeper into a hole of self destructive behavior and extremist opinions, which may be fostered by like-minded individuals spreading misinformation online.
ReplyDeleteThank you a lot Darshan. It is great to see other people's perspective, which is another great thing about the internet. I think it is great that you have been able to keep in such great touch with your relatives who are too far away or who may be lonely. I think it is very important to connect with people like you said and that the internet can be a great escape. I think that you are definitely right in your analysis that this escape might be too costly for some individuals because, instead of connecting, they go too far into the hole of the internet and lose themselves.
DeleteThe internet has positively impacted me during this pandemic for several reasons. It has been a great source of entertainment during the many hours spent at home. Given that many sports and in-person activities were cancelled last spring, the internet has allowed me to find other fun past-time activities such as recipes for cooking or the millions of online courses available. I think the most useful online tool has been zoom, as it allows us to have structure during school, providing a sense of normality. Zoom and FaceTime have also helped me connect with my friends and family, especially those who live far away or are considered high risk. Being at home makes it easy to lose touch with others, but these apps have helped tremendously.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is something we kind of take for granted during the pandemic currently. As you stated, we are able to learn at home and even though we are stuck at home, we can go to school. Furthermore, we can use it for entertainment, work, groceries and many more. with all these comes peace of mind for many people who have either been scared of not being able to get food, but being able to order it online. And for us students, it offers us the ability to learn even though we are dealing with the pandemic. Entertainment in this time is also pretty important, as we are capable of keeping each other sane with either video games, Disney plus, YouTube, Netflix or Hulu or any other streaming site like twitch or whatnot.
ReplyDeleteI'm incredibly grateful for the internet right now, and it has impacted me in a variety of positive ways. For one, like you mentioned, doing school from home would be pretty much impossible without the internet, and we'd have to resort to self studying all of our courses without any kind of external help. It's also been my only means of communicating with people outside of my immediate family for the past couple of months. Without the internet, I would've completely lost touch with all my friends, as it would be much more difficult for me to interact with them. Additionally, having the internet allows for easier spread of information and updates about the virus, which has played a huge role in ensuring that everyone stays safe and well informed during these times.
ReplyDeleteIt has been difficult to be apart from my friends and family for so long, and, although it’s not the same, I’m grateful that I can communicate with them through the internet, as well as able to “go to school” remotely through the internet. I cannot imagine how we could have managed remote school through this pandemic without the technology and connectivity that the internet has enabled, and I am so very thankful for it. There are some negative aspects of the internet, and it can also have an unhealthy impact on peoples’ lives. For example, with the increased amount of entertainment options the internet provides, it’s easy to stay inside and play video games, watch television, etc. – but that leads to more time spent inside and sedentary, which can be very unhealthy. It’s good to get outside and get some exercise, and there are steps we can take to do so safely during this time.
ReplyDeleteI, too like many others am very thankful for the internet. As you stated above, I think how the pandemic is being handled would be vastly different if it wasn't for the internet. The internet allows us to connect with friends and family with the touch of a button. I think that these connections are important now more than ever because it is very easy for the digital world to seem impersonal. As in regards to question 3, I disagree with other commenters. I think that while it is very easy for misinformation and "fake news" to spread, I think that the internet is a beautiful place to learn new things and get different perspectives. The internet is a great place to learn about the virus, that is, if you are getting your information from reputable sources such as the World Health Organization or the Center for Disease Control. In addition, the internet keeps people informed and in the know for this constantly evolving information and research.
ReplyDeleteThe internet in general has positively affected many during the pandemic. Especially, now that school has been switched to online, the internet plays a vital role as it allows kids to learn during the pandemic. In addition, like others have said the internet provides an alternative form of entertainment to the activities we would have normally been doing. In addition, the internet has helped ease minds of the general population by being the source of communication between families and friends. The internet can also be used as a tool to provide information and updates about the Covid cases as well as the restrictions in place to ensure the safety of everyone. These updates can include information about vaccine development, which in turn can give people hope. All in all, the internet has played an instrumental role, acting as a support system throughout this pandemic.
ReplyDeleteLike others have mentioned, I'm especially grateful that the internet has given me the chance to stay connected with my friends and family during the pandemic. I've even been able to talk more with old friends that live further away which has been really amazing. I'm also thankful that through Zoom, we can still get an education even if it's not the same as in-person learning. In terms of easing the mind of the general public and helping people's well-being, I think the internet has been a really helpful distraction from all the stress going on in the world right now and the entertainment that it can provide allows people to take a break from difficult days. Yes, there's a lot of misinformation spread throughout the internet, but as long as people stay aware of what's going on by following trustworthy sources, I think it's a really useful tool.
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