As a new medium of communication , the Internet has significantly changed many aspects of our life .For example , the issue of gender identity may be complicated due to the phenomenon of gender swapping in the internet , friendship can mean something quite different because more and more people make friends through telecommunication rather than the traditional face-to-face opportunities to develop ‘virtual’intimate interpersonal relations .
There are two conflicting opinions regarding of the impact of the Internet on our life . The first one believes that he current rapid development of the Internet will cause more than harm than good to our society and culture . The solution is to slow slow down the development of technology , and be willing to accept that there are something that we can do technologically but should not do in order to preserve our value and culture .
The other opinion believes that the development of the Internet will eventually provide solutions to many of our social problems . Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of technology .The solution is to speed up the development of technology , be willing to give up some of our customs that are in conflict with new technology , and be prepared to use technology to solve social problems .
Write an essay to discuss a specific aspect of the impact of the internet on our social , cultural , or ethical life . The following is the guide line for you to prepare the essay :
1.Present an illustrative case .You SHOULD NOT discuss the impact of the internet in abstract ; instead , you should select a specific angle and focus on a particular issue of these impacts .The best way to narrow down is to discuss the issue with an illustrative case .This case must be real and current (within the last five years ) .The best places to find relevant cases are newspapers , many of which are now available on the web . You should provide references to cited articles .
2. Examine the impact of the internet . You need to explore the social , cultural , or ethical , issues behind the case .To explain why the case should cause or concerns , you need to show how interpersonal and social relationships have been shaped by the traditional communication media (e.g.face-to-face conversation ) , and how our lives will be changes by the Internet as a communication medium .
3.Respond to this debate regarding the impact of the internet .Should we slow down the development of technology in order to reduce its damage , or should we speed up its development and use it to solve social problems ? You should continue to use your illustrative case in your discussion . You should provide evidence to justify your position , and use relevant ethical theories that we have discussed in class to back up your arguments .