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Technology has affected the world massively. Every field has been significantly impacted
by technology, from industries as large and essential as the healthcare industry to the
entertainment industry. Some might say that it is one of the most important things in our world
today; every individual and every area of a person's life is heavily influenced by all sorts of
technology. So, what is technology really? The majority of people in the world would describe
technology as a product that enhances human effort or a product that can be used to make life
easier. This idea of technology is partially true.
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical use. I like how Angelo
Bonomi defined it in his book “Technology Innovation”; he said, “It is then possible to define
technology as a set of physical, chemical, and biological phenomena producing an effect
exploitable for human purposes” (Bonomi, 2023). A huge misconception about technology is that
it has to be some kind of robotic device to be classified as technology, but Angelo Bonomi's
definition shows that’s not the case. As I have mentioned, technology plays an increasingly
crucial role in the lives of people in our world today. Areas such as Arts and Culture have been
immensely influenced by technology.
There are different types of technology, so examples of technology would be a
smartphones, software (Windows, Linux, and web browsers), and Artificial Intelligence. I have
previously mentioned how impactful technology has been in areas of our lives and in different
industries in our world, but in this paper, I will focus mainly on the internet and how it has
impacted art, culture (including religion), and even how it has impacted the field of technology.
Firstly, what is the internet? The Internet is a global network of interconnected computer
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networks that communicate using the Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP). It allows billions of
devices worldwide to connect and communicate with each other, sharing information and
resources across vast distances. Simply put, it is a vast network of computers all over the world
allowing users to share information, resources, and ideas.
The internet, for lack of a better word, began in the 1960s but became widely accessible
to the public in the 1990s. Since then, it has become one of the most, if not the most, used and
relied-upon pieces of technology in the world. Serving as the very backbone of the modern
world, the internet plays an indispensable role in propelling the global economy forward. Far
beyond merely offering job opportunities, it serves as a veritable repository housing a substantial
portion of the world's economic data. Industries ranging from finance to healthcare lean heavily
on the Internet's infrastructure, relying on its robust capabilities for the storage, retrieval, and
dissemination of critical information and services. In the “The Great Transformer: The Impact of
the Internet on Economic Growth and Prosperity,” it states that “Our research shows that the
Internet accounts for, on average, 3.4 percent of GDP across the large economies that make up 70
percent of global GDP” (Manyika & Roxburgh, 2011). This statistic very simply shows how
large the role that the internet plays and how much each individual as well as us as a country rely
on the internet. In the hypothetical scenario of an abrupt internet shutdown, even if transient, the
consequences would be far-reaching and profound.
Crucial sectors such as healthcare would bear the brunt of the disruption, grappling with
the sudden inaccessibility of vital medical records and services. Such a scenario underscores the
internet's intricate interconnectivity and its indispensable nature, as its absence poses substantial
challenges to the functioning of essential services and the overall stability of the global economy.
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So, what was life like before the internet? As explained earlier, since the emergence of
the internet, it has become an indispensable tool in today's world, but before the internet, life was
significantly different, especially in the areas of communication, information dissemination, and
entertainment. Communication before the internet was primarily done face-to-face, through
writing such as letters or through landline telephones, unlike now where things like Facetime
make it easy to speak with friends and family all over the world. Information accessibility is
another area which the internet has changed.
Today, anyone can access a vast array of information whenever and wherever as a result
of the internet, but before the internet, access to information was limited; people relied on printed
materials such as newspapers, books, and magazines. Areas like research, shopping,
entertainment, and learning were all positively impacted by the introduction of the internet. In
terms of art and culture, before the internet, sharing ideas and opinions, viewing works of art,
and collaborating with other creatives was difficult.
Artists and other forms of creatives had to showcase their work and meet with other like
minds in exhibitions, museums, theaters, and galleries in order to network, gain inspiration, and
share ideas; this is definitely not the case today, although these mediums are still available, there
are now a lot more ways which can also be more efficient in the dissemination of information.
The internet has definitely changed the way art and culture are shared, consumed, and even
produced.
The more traditional mediums like the printing press limited access to information, but
the internet helped solve these types of problems. Some of the most significant ways the internet
has impacted art specifically are by providing a space or platform for the creation and
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dissemination of art. Artists can create and showcase their works of art online and reach a global
audience of people.
Another impact the internet has had on art is increasing the possibility among artists to
collaborate on art projects with other artists in different parts of the world. In the paper “The
Influence Of Technology In Art Appreciation And Sales As A Factor In The Sustainability Of
The Retail Art Industry” by Sarah Gamboa, she mentioned that “Artists are also using computers
to connect and gain inspiration from each other” (Gamboa, n.d.), showing the connection that the
internet makes possible in art by interconnecting computers. There has also been a significant
impact on culture by the internet, the main impact being the accessibility of information and
global connectivity that the internet provides. The internet allows us to share information and to
connect with people worldwide.
We can confidently say that this technology (the internet) was designed for the good of
mankind, and although it has brought a lot of benefits and has positively impacted art, culture,
and the world in general, just like any other thing man has created, it can and has been used for
negative purposes as well. Although the internet has aided in the rapid dissemination and access
to information, it has also been a huge breeding ground for misinformation.
The spread of false news and information in today's world has been increased because of
the internet. Even though there is a lot of good information, the fact that it (the internet) is
accessible to anyone and everyone with no monitoring for everything that is being posted means
there is bound to be false information being spread. Due to that, we have to be careful when
using information found on the internet because false information is as good as no information.
In the article “Misinformation technology: Internet use and political misperceptions in Africa” by
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Joel Cariolle, he discusses how the Internet is seen as a misinformation technology rather than a
liberation technology. He says, “The liberation versus misinformation technology debate can be
apprehended through the lens of two features of the Internet: its low entry barriers cost and its
reliance on user-generated rather than expert-generated content” (Cariolle et al., 2024).
These features reveal why misinformation is common on the internet, the abundance of
access, and the lack of necessity for content provided by experts. Security risk is another
negative when it comes to the internet. Hacking, identity theft, and data breaches are all threats
to personal privacy and financial well-being. Lastly would be online harassment. With the ability
for artists to share their works of art with fellow artists and the world, comes the opportunity for
people to troll and pour out hate on those artworks, which have a negative effect on the
psychological and emotional state of the victims.
In the article “Nursing Intervention for Preventing Cyberbullying and Reducing Its
Negative Impact on Students: A Scoping Review,” it states that “A previous study conducted a
study on 384 students, from the data it can be seen that 11% of students have experienced
cyberbullying, around 29% have been victims, and almost 50% have witnessed cyberbullying.
(Yosep et al., 2023)”. These statistics show how common this problem is. While the Internet
offers numerous advantages in terms of access to information, communication, commerce,
education, and entertainment, it also presents challenges and risks that need to be addressed. In
conclusion, the internet has revolutionized communication, commerce, education, and
entertainment, connecting people and information across the globe. It serves as a platform for
collaboration, innovation, and the exchange of ideas on a scale never before possible.
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Works Cited
Bonomi, A. (2022). The Nature and Definition of Technology. In Technology innovation :
models, dynamics, and processes /. CRC Press,.
Manyika, J., & Roxburgh, C. (2011, October 1). The Great Transformer: The impact of the
internet on economic growth and prosperity. McKinsey & Company.
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-
insights/the-great-transformer
Gamboa, S. (n.d.). The influence of technology in art appreciation and sales as ...
https://www.usf.edu/business/documents/undergraduate/honors/thesis-gamboa-sarah.pdf
cariolle, joel, Elkhateeb, Y., & Maurel, M. (2024, January 27). Misinformation technology:
Internet use and political misperceptions in Africa. Journal of Comparative Economics.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147596724000039?via%3Dihub
Yosep, I., Hikmat, R., & Mardhiyah, A. (2023). Nursing Intervention for Preventing
Cyberbullying and Reducing Its Negative Impact on Students: A Scoping Review.JJournal
of multidisciplinary healthcare,J16, 261–273. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S400779
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