Jemila Cox

ENGL-221-2663

Argumentative Essay: is the Internet good for you?

The Internet is defined as networks using standardized communication protocols.

Statista.com states that, “As of January 2023, there were 5.16 billion internet users

worldwide, which is 64.4 percent of the global population.” Ever since the beginning of

the world wide web, also known as the internet, different people have been affected by

the internet in many different ways. We use the internet for almost everything we do.

Considering my experience and future academic or career goals, the Internet has been

good for me because it allows me to be flexible with my school schedule, I can use the

internet to make it easier to study, and can be used as a simpler way to look up words

and concepts.

The internet is good because it allows me to be flexible with my school schedule.

Studies show that approx 70% of students agree that they prefer online classes over the

traditional classroom settings. It allows me to be able to work at my own pace. Not

having to drive to attend school in person helps me a lot. In the article, “Beneficial

Online Classes to Take Advantage Of”, Lorena Robert states, “Not only is it more

convenient for students to log into class from the privacy of their apartments, taking

classes online allows non-traditional students to earn the credits they need to further

their education - sometimes from miles away.” It saves me a lot of time and gas,

especially as gas has gone up lately. With the internet, I don't have to worry about

classes conflicting with work or my son’s school schedule. According to the University

Wire, “UNO film major, Jonathan Wood, said he finds online courses to be
"tremendously helpful," since he works at least 60 hours a week on films.” Just like

Johnathon, I too needed to work while trying to go to school. I stopped going to school

because it was too much to find a job that works around my school schedule. I decided

to go back to school because I knew I had the option to attend online classes, which

allowed me to be able to work, and attend school while being a single mother. Not

saying they didn't have online classes back then, they just weren't as accessible as they

are today. I wish online classes were as common as they are now. If I had the option to

take all online classes, I would have been able to work and attend college.

Another reason the internet is good for me is that I can use the internet to make it

easier to study. Students can use the internet to find the materials they need to study

with, including assignments, quizzes and presentations, and all other resources that are

available online. I went to High school in the early 2000s when the internet was not as

advanced as it is now. I was lucky enough to have dial-up, but it was extremely slow.

According to Techspirited.com, “Speed is one of the biggest disadvantages of a dial-up

connection. The maximum speed a dial-up connection can achieve is 56,000 bytes per

second, which is way too less compared to all the other technologies available these

days.” As someone who had brothers and a sister, I had to share the internet with

everyone. We didn't have wifi back then so there was no way to hook up more than one

device to the internet. My sister was older and in a higher grade than me, so most of the

time her assignments needed a little more research so she always had first dibs on the

computer. To really get the studying done that I needed, I had to go to an actual library

to either use a computer or find books that pertained to whatever the assignment was.

With the internet, I can learn from a variety of different sources to study, such as online
textbooks, videos, blogs, and digital journals. It sure is easier than having to carry

around big, heavy books. The Internet has helped improve my study skills. In the article,

“How did the Internet change the way we learn”, it states, “Now all you need is an

internet connection in your home, from your mobile phone or public Wi-Fi. This gives

you endless possibilities on where to do it, but also when. Thanks to e-learning you can

study at every moment of the day instead of some rigid schedule.” That, to me, is a win-

win. Any time something comes about that can make my life easier will always be a

positive thing.

The internet can be used as a simpler way to look up words and concepts. With

the internet, you get more information about a topic than you do with a dictionary.

Without the use of the internet, there would be no other way to find definitions other

than a dictionary and encyclopedia, which took time to look through to find what you

needed. Sofia and Senovia Guevara wrote an article called, “Research Through Google

Lens.” As a patron, I can see myself saving time by using Google Lens while moving

through the stacks. Instead of just relying on the inside cover of a book that provides a

brief review, I could take a picture of a book’s title page and, using Google Lens, find

information about other people’s opinions of that book; do a Google Books search (if a

preview is available) for keywords within the book which might affect my decision to use

the book in a project Google makes everything easier.” Like Guevara, for me, being

able to go on a computer or pull out my phone, look up a word or concept, write it down,

or copy and paste and move on. Books are harder to carry around, so it would be hard

for me to be able to always have access to them from anywhere. The article, “How the

Internet is Beneficial to Students,” states “Things are now faster and easier because
there are numerous websites that provide important information that can help students

with their academic work and assignments. This also helps students remain up to date

with the latest information.”

When it comes to my future career goals, the internet would be good because it

opens opportunities to work remotely. Covid 19 started the rise of remote work. Yang L.

Holtz states in his article, "The Effects of Remote Work on Collaboration Among

Information Workers”, states that “The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

caused a rapid shift to full-time remote work for many information workers. Viewing this

shift as a natural experiment in which some workers were already working remotely

before the pandemic enables us to separate the effects of firm-wide remote work from

other pandemic-related confounding factors.” This brings me back to the flexibility

argument with education. The same can be said for working. Remote work gives you

the flexibility to work from anywhere you are. You do not have to be confined to a desk

or room when working from home. WIth the internet, you can communicate with your

coworkers and managers through email, any video conferencing applications, and other

communication. With the Corona Virus that doesn't seem to be going away, working

remotely keeps you safe from being exposed. When I worked in the office, almost every

week they had to shut down the office because someone was either exposed or tested

positive for it. Which also put us at risk, then we would go home and possibly expose

our family members to the virus. Working remote, you didn't have to worry about it too

much.

There has been an argument about how the world was less complex before the

internet. Some people may argue that the internet takes away from making connections
with classmates but I feel like you could still do that with applications like Zoom and

Skype. There have been studies showing that people become wrapped up and addicted

to the internet. The internet makes it easier for people to cheat since they are not in

front of someone to watch them. As stated in a research paper by IvyPanda, it is stated

that “One of the major demerits that the internet has caused is that it has led to an

increase in the rate of academic dishonesty. The major academic dishonesty that has

increased due to the internet is the prevalence of plagiarism instances.”

In conclusion, Considering my experience and future academic or career goals,

the Internet has been good for me because it allows me to be flexible with my school

schedule, I can use the internet to make it easier to study, and can be used as a simpler

way to look up words and concepts If the internet back then was what it is now, it would

have made getting an education. I would be done with college and well into my career,

instead of being back in school at 33. There’s so much you can do with the internet. It

has come a long way from dial up to what it is now.

Works cited

● Class differences: Online classes offer flexibility. (2016, Apr 01).

University Wire Retrieved from https://lmc.idm.oclc.org/login?

url=https://www.proquest.com/wire-feeds/class-differences-online-

classes-offer/docview/1777596828/se-2
● Roberts, L. (2019, Feb 17). Beneficial online classes to take advantage

of. University Wire Retrieved from https://lmc.idm.oclc.org/login?

url=https://www.proquest.com/wire-feeds/beneficial-online-classes-

take-advantage/docview/2184564311/se-2

● 21K School. “How the Internet Is Beneficial to Students.” 21K School,

20 Feb. 2023, https://www.21kschool.com/blog/how-the-internet-is-

beneficial-to-students/

● Experience, Virtual Team. “How Did the Internet Change the Way We

Learn?” LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-does-internet-

change-way-we-learn-virtualteamexperience#:~:text=Thanks%20to

%20e%2Dlearning%20you,and%20our%20approach%20to

%20experiences.

● Mlblevins. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Dial-up Internet Access.”

Tech Spirited, 2 July 2009, https://techspirited.com/advantages-

disadvantages-of-dial-up-internet-access.

● Guevara S, Guevara S. Research Through GOOGLE LENS. Online

Searcher. 2019;43(3):30-33. Accessed March 22, 2023.

https://search-ebscohost-com.lmc.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=hch&AN=136478441&site=ehost-live&scope=site

● IvyPanda. (2019, October 18). Internet Positive and Negative Impacts on

Education. https://ivypanda.com/essays/education-research-paper/
● Yang, L., Holtz, D., Jaffe, S. et al. The effects of remote work on collaboration

among information workers. Nat Hum Behav 6, 43–54 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01196-4