Social Impact of the Internet, Outline Example

Global Society –Social Impact of the Internet

Thesis Statement

The Internet has great social impact on the global society since its inception. Social theory (pattern behavior) explains why people take up the internet even with its adverse negative impacts exceeding its positive impact in the globe society.

Applying Social Theory to social impact of the Internet

• Adoption of western patterns of behaviors
• A trend in new technological developments

Positive Internet aspects

• New patterns of communication (email, chats, social networks i.e. face book, twitter ) (Mowlana 230)
• New patterns of transacting (banking, paying bills, buying merchandise, grocery shopping) (Mowlana 230)
• New patterns of information search (website materials, forums, chats, researches) (Yamada)
• New patterns in outsourcing employment (internet jobs, technician jobs) (Yamada)
• The Negative social impact
• New patterns of interaction (Alienation from societal institutions for instance the family, work place, peers, and education) (Yamada)
• New culture patterns adoption (western influence, regarding traditional culture as archaic) (Mowlana 230)
• Western patters of identity (adopting new lifestyles i.e. eating, wearing, interest, values) (Yamada)
• New patterns of crimes (gangs, terrorism, pornography, drug deals) (Smith 135-254)

Conclusion

It is apparent that technology is a good but also a bad aspect in the society in the current world. It has changed the lives of many bringing in new lifestyles (Mowlana 230), and draining away the traditional ways of living (Lee 257). In some aspects, it is a positive attribute but to some extent, it has negative impacts that pin done society values and norms (Mowlana 230). Accepting technology is inevitable especially in the 21^st century (Smith 135-254) meaning that the single thing we can execute is to handle the new innovations wisely and control establish new ways of controlling and handling the effects the internet has in the society (Yamada).

Works Cited

Lee, A. Sociology for people: toward a caring profession Syracuse. University Press, 1988,  p. 257

Mowlana, H. “The communication paradox: Globalization may be just another word for western  cultural dominance.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, vol. 51, 1995, p.230

Smith, D. The Everyday World as Problematic. Open University Press, 1988, p. 135-254

Yamada, M.  Most, older kids surf unsupervised. 12 April 1999. <www.cnn.com>