Pop Culture Overview: The Internet

1 Pages 342 Words

The Internet, also known as the World Wide Web or Web, has become an important tool for most people in today’s society. The overwhelming popularity of the medium is a testament to this. According to the C.I.A.’s World Factbook 2002, 59% of the U.S. population is connected to the Internet (World Factbook). This translates into roughly 165.8 million “users” with Internet capabilities in the United States alone.
What these users do online generally falls into three categories; business, educational, and personal. Most businesses, of all types and sizes, utilize the Internet for purposes such as communications, marketing, customer service, and purchasing. The Internet has also allowed individuals to directly compete with larger, established companies, resulting in more successful home-based businesses. In the academic fields, the ability to quickly research and exchange information can play a vital role in projects and studies. Students can also benefit greatly from the unlimited amount of information that makes up the estimated 34.3 million websites in existence (Internet Usage). Personal users take advantage of the convenience, entertainment, and social aspect of the Web. Common examples of these are online banking, games, and chat rooms. These people shape the look and content of the Internet through buying power, cultural contributions, creativeness and individualism.

Overall, the Internet offers it’s users an anonymous, virtual community. A place where people can be judged more by what they say and do, rather than their race, income, or appearance. This creates a comfort zone, of sorts, that many people cannot obtain in the “real world.” They are afforded the opportunity to be who they are, not what others perceive them to be.
How and why our society uses the Internet offers valuable insight about who we are as a people. It reveals cultural patterns, strengths, and weaknesses that...