Internet: Connecting or Disconnecting People

“Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks”

Source: http://thinkexist.com/quotations/internet/

It is hard to imagine a world without internet.

This is a fact, but not for all. I certainly can exist without the internet, but it also means not working. If I don’t work then it means no money. If there is no money, then I guess there will be no food. If there is no food, then where will survival be?

I could very much remember myself when I was not yet acquainted with the cyber world. I was a stranger to it. I did use the computer, but it was strictly for academic purposes. I have my pile of books beside me, which has been pre-read and pre-labeled for me to properly annotate the sources for my dozens of research paper.

I am geek, a beautiful geek for that matter. This is my blog! There is no room to contest my opinions. J J J

I was happy living outside the cyber community. I regularly interacted with mom and dad. We watch the television together. We eat lunch and dinner together. We share stories together. We are pretty much connected.

Work forced me to be acquainted with the cyber world. I learned how to obtain a yahoo account, a yahoo messenger, and soon I found myself as part of Friendster, which I believe is the very first social application that gained popularity all over the world, particularly the Philippines. I learned that you can gain new friends through the small screen of the computer. It was both fun and weird. I found myself chatting with other individuals from the other side of the world. I was enjoying myself to learn of their culture. Nevertheless, there are always the annoying chatters who will initially ask about Age, Name, Gender also known as minion.

Minion Definition

It is a term I just thought of today. I believe it describes them fair enough. They use their brain cells for the purpose of bodily pleasures. They are part of the unenlightened who are motivated solely by instincts. I don’t fancy sparing them a single second of my time. I still do until now. It is just a waste of time.

My precious time to interact with friends and family became lesser. I was becoming a member of the cyber community. I soon found myself unconsciously opening my mailbox and my messenger immediately after waking up. It has been a habit.

Is it good?

If uncontrolled then it would be dangerous.

 I must confess. There are times that I get lost in time while in front of my laptop. I lose track of time. I lose track of eating. I lose track of the sunrise and the sunset.

Is it bad?

It is bad for those who cannot manage their time. Like the “me” in the past. However, could you really blame me for being an addicted to the cyber world? It is the place where I earn a living. It is a place where I am connected to clients and customers? It is my work place. I am not doing it for the sake of pleasure. I am doing it strictly for business’ sake. Okay, most of the time it is for business’ sake. J

Conclusion:

The internet is indeed connecting people from all over the globe. Thanks to technology, fathers who are forced to work abroad can chat with his family and see their faces everyday. It allowed freelancers to get more jobs online. It allowed some couples to find their perfect match. It gave birth to romance; unfortunately it has also become the cause for the end of marriage.  

Does it cause people to disconnect from society?

No, it is not the internet that disconnects people from society. It is the individual who is the culprit. The internet does not have the power to control you. It is your choice to be controlled. It is your decision to disconnect. It is you who is at fault.

Man has always tried to find excuses for his shortcomings. He always wants to point the finger to another. He wants to find a scapegoat for his misdoings. He fails to grow up and attain maturity.

The internet is the product of humankind. We rule over it. We should not let it control our lives. We should be the one in power over it. We should remain its masters. Should it connect or disconnect you from the world?

It is your choice!