© ESL Study Guide
Topic: Some people say that the Internet provides people with a lot of valuable information. Others think access to so much information creates problems. Which view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
The primary role of the Internet was initially as a communication network that would be difficult for an enemy to disable. DARPA wanted to ensure that US communication infrastructure would not suffer in the event of a nuclear strike. These days, the main advantage of the internet is as a source of information as well as communication. While some consider the Internet an invaluable tool, stating that the information it provides is valuable, others believe that in only provides an excessive amount of unreliable and inappropriate information. I believe that the Internet not only provide inappropriate information, but excessive amounts of inaccurate information as well.
First, much of the information that the Internet provides is not good for society. There is commonly no limit and little control over what information people can view. Much of this information has a strong detrimental effect on society. For instance, while students may be able to find a great deal of information regarding a school project, they also have access to pornography or other antisocial material. In addition, much of what is found online promotes violence. For example, even a child could enter the correct keywords on a search engine such as Google and find step by step instructions on manufacturing a pipe bomb. While programs such as Net Nanny may try to limit what children can access on the Internet, as children become more adept at computers there is very little that parents or even the police can do in order to prevent this from happening.
Second, the Internet provides an excessive amount of unreliable and inaccurate information. Since anyone with a computer and Internet access can make a website, It has become more difficult to tell the difference between a reliable source of information and something made up of entirely fiction. Hoaxes perpetrated online may greatly confuse users, potentially with serious consequences. For example, by inadvertently opening a malicious email, users may expose their computer to software designed to steal banking information. While many banks offer fraud protection, sorting out and resolving credit problems can takes months or even years.
In summary, while the Internet can provide valuable information to students and workers, it is not always helpful. Access to inappropriate material such as pornography can cause problems in society, especially among young people. Finally, not all of the information online can be considered reliable. The Internet, due to its nature and structure, requires users to carefully analyze what they read as fact or fiction.