5 Ways The Internet Has Made Me Better

I know this is quite controversial. A lot of people (me included) think the Internet can cause a lot of trouble in family life. I recently met a man whose wife left him after 'hooking-up' with her old sweetheart on

Facebook. 

People have been known to rant about their bosses on social networking sites; a stupid mistake which often lands them in the unemployment line. Admittedly, some kids spend far too long on the Internet, meeting dangerous strangers, or wasting time on violent games. All this being said, the Internet has its advantages too. I know that it’s made me better in some ways.

I’m more careful about what I say to people

I always keep in mind that whatever I say on Twitter or Facebook etc, is there for the entire world to see (and stays there forever). Sometimes leaving a short message can sound blunt or rude, especially when in a rush to visit the next page - and the next.  Having to manage this daily, has made me better at expressing myself in few words.

The Internet saves me time

I do a lot of research for my articles and books. I used to spend hours at the library, or reading entire books just to get one piece of information. Having the Internet means that I can write with several windows open and search for exactly what I need. Of course this means that unscrupulous people can copy others’ work with abandon. I’ve had that done to me several times, but I think it's a small price to pay for the amount of time I save doing my reading/research with the readily available and accessible search engines.

The Internet saves me money

I know several of you will agree that buying on the Internet saves an absolute fortune. Not only can you get exactly what you want from the comfort of your living room, you can also snap it up significantly cheaper. The indirect savings of time, petrol costs – driving to stores, and frustrations of shopping, also considerably mount up.

I keep in touch more regularly

The Internet makes it fabulously easy to stay in touch with family, long lost friends, and colleagues. I’ve found several of my old friends by being on the Internet. My presence there has also enabled them to reach out to me. I don’t think this would’ve been possible otherwise. Not many people want to get involved in the long, drawn-out process pre ‘social-network’ entailed. I know, I don’t. The Internet keeps me in contact with my relatives who live far away. And for people who don’t get along with family members, the web keeps them close enough to maintain a connection, but far enough away so they can’t cause trouble (although some of them still manage to tick you off).

The Internet allows me to have a wider network

As writers and bloggers we know how crucial it is to maintain a large and healthy platform. Publishers value them, and so do potential colleagues. I can get my new blog post to a thousand people (potentially tens of thousands) in two minutes flat. Facebook, Twitter, Google buzz, Stumbleupon, Digg etc, are only some of the sites from where my creations can springboard to friends, fans, and fans of friends in minutes – literally!

How about you, has the Internet made you better in some ways? Do you think the positives outweigh the negatives?