Five reasons why I love the Internet

I was born before the World Wide Web began yet I cannot imagine a world without it. Back then I believed computers were for playing computer games and that one day robots would control everything and we would drive around in space cars. Perhaps that idea of a Jetson’s inspired future may have actually come true but I did get the computers thing super wrong. Computers are indeed great for playing games but nowadays they can be your morning alarm, your TV, radio, workout buddy or personal shopping experience. In fact they can be anything you want them to be. As with anything in life there are negatives to the Internet but it’s something I’ll explore at a later date. Therefore without further ado here are five reasons why I love the Internet:

1) Everyone can access it

For many a smartphone is an essential item and unsurprisingly they pop up regularly in the remotest places around the world. It’s quite simple. If you have one, you have an infinite amount of information at your fingertips. Years ago there were few people allowed the honour of accessing information such as via a library or religious texts. People relied on the way this information was disseminated to them in readings or society values. Nowadays anyone with Internet access can tap into whatever topic they so choose. Breathtakingly amazing.  

2) Social proximity

The Internet does not have physical borders. Social media has blurred the lines between friends and someone we chat to occasionally at a morning briefing. We can chat to our colleagues in Australia, watch videos about quilling on YouTube, see what the latest reality celebs have been doing to get attention on their latest Instagram posts and much more. On a serious note people can also use the Internet to unite over a common cause such as the Black Lives Matter movement.

3) Everyone can have a voice

As a self-professed introvert, I have spent much of my life trying to get my voice heard. However I have always felt much more comfortable with the written word than the spoken word. For that reason the Internet is a way for me to participate on a level playing field. I feel that even though there are still people online that feel the need to shout and scream their opinions as fact from the rooftops or ‘laptops’ if you will, the Internet is such an expansive place you really don’t need to listen to them. You can move on and find your tribe elsewhere.

4) Increased global awareness

Apart from the dusty world maps pinned to the wall displays in my school as a youngster and the odd reference to ‘The Inuit of the Arctic’ or ‘Rainforests of Brazil’, my global understanding and knowledge was poor at best. This is not a criticism of my primary school teachers – education was different back then – but my awareness of world events and global issues truly began when I stumbled on the Internet. We now have the capacity to have real time news at the click of a finger from anywhere in the world.

5) It is always evolving

I believe that change is as good as a rest. Without the constant cycle of reflection, we can get stuck in our ways. Thanks to Edinburgh University and their reflection toolkit, the Gibbs reflective cycle illustrates my point perfectly. Click here to read more about this. In its simplest form, it proposes that reflection takes place after an experience. If we look at the Internet, we can see this has happened many times. The internet started life as a method to exchange information in universities, research centres and labs around the world. However once this became mainstream for those institutions, there was a light bulb moment. Maybe the public might want to exchange information in the same way? Fast forward to the age of Web 2.0 where people not only exchange information but generate and disseminate it. The internet is ever changing.

Final thoughts:

In summary there are most definitely more than five reasons why I love the Internet but hopefully I’ve given you a flavour of why I believe it is a modern miracle. Although I will continue to champion its many positives, I do recognise that the World Wide Web has a not so nice side but let’s explore that in a future blog post. If you have an organisation such as a community group, charity or small business that you’d like to connect to the Internet, get in touch and see how we can help.

I would love to hear your views on this topic.

Tell me in the comments below.

Do you agree with my top 5 reasons why I love the Internet? Do you have a different top 5 you’d like to share? Please note though that one thing I do ask is that you are kind. Your opinions count but your spite and malice does not and will be deleted.  

Thanks so much for reading,

Stay safe!