Is there anybody out there...? Communication & the Internet

Communicating is a process used by everyone and nowadays it seems that the internet is one of the easiest and quickest ways to communicate with people worldwide. Nowadays the internet seems to be the ‘norm’ in terms of communication in our culture. The internet holds a range of information and resources; it provides you with an array of information that is at your fingertips twenty four hours a day. Not only is it used for information purposes whether it be educational or just a random search, but it is also used for entertainment, social networking, to keep up with current affairs and to shop. This highly versatile method of communication is extremely popular and will carry on being as it continues to develop.

The internet is not solely used by the individual, but is also used by business and companies when advertising their product. It is a quick andeffective way of promoting their company and is available to be looked at 24 hours a day. The popularity of the internet allows companies to have a contemporary feel especially because the internet is perceived to be ‘new media’. The speed of the internet makes it highly popular towards audiences and companies as you can access worldwide information at a faster pace than other forms of communication.

I use the internet for entertainment and educational purposes. Because of this I use the internet on a daily basis. This makes me wonder if perhaps you can be somewhat ‘addicted’ to the internet, as it seems to revolve around most people’s daily routine. Would we be able to cope without having the internet for a week? If anything did happen to the existence of the internet, how would people manage? I use the internet to help find information and sources for University work. I also use social networking to keep in touch with friends and family. Social networking such as E-mail, IM (instant messaging), facebook and MySpace are quick and easy ways to keep in touch with friends and family no matter where they are on a regular basis. In addition to this it is cheaper than other methods of communication such as phone calls, which also makes the internet more appealing.

I personally think that websites play a great part in the idea of consumerism. Various high street stores and business have websites nowadays. They have a tendency to promote various products with offers and special prices which you would not necessarily get when going down the high street. Also websites such as online shopping and price comparison sites enable the consumer to get the product that they want the best price possible (this is definitely appreciated especially whilst we’re part of an economic crisis!). Plus you can have the luxury of shopping at all of your favourite shops without even having to leave your house!