Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Innovation - Essay Example As an enabler of social, personal, business and information sharing interaction, Internet has had far reaching effects on the societies and individuals across the world. Previously unimagined, Internet has allowed people to have instant online access to information including news, education, and entertainment as well as allowed communication through email. While this facility has had a notable effect on individual lives and how we communicate and do business, the real societal changes lie elsewhere. The Internet has allowed democratisation of information where individuals and communities can now become producers in addition to being consumers of information. Domains like journalism and art, which were limited to mainstream and traditional spheres of influence, have opened up to individuals who can express and create their own identity and personal following. Social networking sites like Facebook and Youtube have given rise to new online relationships. While some of these never result in face to face contact in person, the phenomenon has enabled connections across geographical and cultural divides based on personal preferences, interest groups and vocational interests. Several social support groups have sprung up on the webs which have particularly helped those who are either shy or unable to be part of physical groups. The ability to be anonymous on the web is an advantage here. Finally, the Internet has increasingly become home for civic and political advocacy (Lin & Atkin, 20 07: p. 184). President Obama’s presidential campaign depended heavily on the Internet, for example. Tyler noted that there was nothing new about the Internet and that it merely allowed â€Å"new ways of doing old things† and did not have a social impact (Tyler, 2002). So, in essence, are the benefits or pitfalls caused by Internet indistinguishable from those we already know of? Perhaps the answer is not that