Why I like the Internet
the pros and cons

I’m not an Internet addict, but I like surfing the net.

The first time I used Internet I hadn’t got a good approach with it. I had never used the Internet before and all my classmates were experts. My parents had told me the Internet was a dangerous place, and I was afraid I could take a virus. In the elementary school, during informatics hours, all my classmates weren’t listening to the teacher: they were downloading pictures, playing offline or online games or chatting. And I couldn’t understand anything. At home, I watched my father surfing the net (he had just taken part in a computer course). I learned the basis and I discovered the existence of the antivirus software. So I was no more afraid of taking a virus. Years later, I learned how to use the computer, and now I can surf the net better than my father.

I like the Internet because it is full of information. You can find whatever you want. But it is also full of nonsense. You can find interesting and useful information next to useless ones. People can write nonsense and pass them off true information only for amusement. This is one of the cons of the Internet: anyone can publish anything he wants, without any filter.
This is the reason why, surfing the net in time, I have been making a list of “safe sites” I should consult to make a good search.
It’s true that even in these sites you can’t be 100% sure of what you read. For example, Wikipedia is a good safe site, but sometimes somebody spoils some of its pages: he deletes the real page content and replace it whit whatever he wants. And other pages are completely copied by books or encyclopaedias.

I usually use the Internet to make school searches. But most of these arguments can be found in books too. On the other hand, actuality arguments can be found more easily in the net: some sites are updated every day or also every hour.

Some of these sites are forums dedicated to an argument. They are really interesting to read: sometimes, when I have a problem with a piece of software or a program, I have a look at some computer forums. Most of time, other people had had my same problem and sometimes an expert had already given them one or more solutions. The only problem is that these solutions often need a gigantic knowledge of computer – which nobody in our family has.

And you can also find some good free programs for your computer and download them. I find it very useful because they have functions different from the other installed programs (like making films, drawing diagrams or composing music).

Another thing I like of it is the big amount of photos and pictures. They are beautiful even if they haven’t got an immediate use. They can be used as desktops or to make presentations look prettier.

Another service offered by the Internet is the e-mail, fast communication means. Faster than post and less expensive: it is gratis and you are almost sure your message will reach the destination. I have been using it for only two years, but I have immediately found it very useful. You can share you files with other people and stay in contact, even if there are faster ways to do this.

They are the social networks like Facebook or Messenger. I haven’t got many information about these, because I saw one of them only once in my life. However, I think they are a good idea. You can meet people from everywhere; you can make friends and stay in contact with old ones. The only problem is that it can become dangerous: you can’t really know who is there at the other side of the net (unless you are sure it is one of your “real” acquaintances). There are some malicious people who can pretend to be another person and deceive you.
Another con of the social networks is that they impoverish your language and make you insecure in the real life. People who creates his own life in the virtual reality finds difficult to relate with the others. They can become a means to live an alternative life you can live in the real world: I think it’s very sad.

This is the real problem of the Internet: you can’t be sure your dates will be forever safe from anyone. Someone can steal your identity or your money by the Internet.

In my opinion, another problem is the Internet can cause addiction. For example, people who plays Internet games all the time or surfs the net all the day is an Internet game addict. Sometimes you need to use the computer for a long time to work, but somebody can use this excuse to stay at the computer more time and use the Internet. Other people stay hours and hours at the computer chatting with their friends. This is the reason why you shouldn’t abuse of this means.

I like the Internet, because it’s a great chance to make something good, but you must pay attention when you use it.