Week 1

The first lesson, an overview of this module where we learnt what's Internet all about and how it came about.

I've found this clip on the Internet! (:
A summarized version of this whole module.

So, the first lesson talks about how internet came about and the advantages of the Internet but there's always a flip side to the coin yes?

Thus, I've decided to look into the disadvantages of this phenomenon that is already a part of our daily lives - at least for our generation and the next.

1) Theft or Personal information
Details sent over the Internet can be easily tracked and snooped, hence personal information and details can be easily accessed by online thieves. Credit card details when doing internet banking could be “stolen” if one falls into the trap of a bogus website.

2) Spamming
Unwanted e-mails or commercial advertising could cause one’s computer to lag or even hang if the size of an attachment is massive. This would slow down one’s computer’s efficiency.

3) Virus, phishing, malware threat
Computer virus is a dreadful program that can disrupt the normal functioning of a person’s computer systems, causing the computers to crash. When a computer is connected to the internet, the vulnerability of being attacked by virus, tracked by phishing and malware worms would be heighten. This would lead to the first disadvantage mentioned, causing one’s computer to be hacked and probably lose important personal information.

4) Negative effects on family communication
Although there are differing research findings on this topic, there are still reports that time spent on the Internet was associated with later declines in within house family communication and decrease in number of friends and acquaintances.

5) Internet addiction
Some psychologists believe that Internet addiction is a psychological disorder and the symptoms are comparable to any addiction.

6) Children using the internet
This issue could lead to undesirable consequences if children misuse the internet. When parental control is not efficiently administered, children may stumble upon indecent sites, leading to misinterpretations which can have detrimental effects. Also, children could talk to strangers which might be dangerous.

7) Unknown exposure to unwanted attention
If one is not as technology savvy or not careful enough, their personal information could be exposed through social media when they do not set the appropriate privacy settings. This could draw unwanted attention that might cause other to judge you based on your online personality.