The Internet as a Modern-day Communication Medium

William Abhram^*
*Correspondence: William Abhram, Department of Journalism, University of Auckland, New Zealand, Email:

Introduction

Marshall McLuhan's notion of a global village has become a reality thanks to modern information and communication technology. The emergence of new media has resulted in the creation of a "information society" and the globalisation of information resources and services. With the exponential growth of emerging media technology such as the Internet, print, broadcast, telecommunications, and computer communication, new domains have emerged, resulting in a converged media world in general and global consumption of goods and services in particular. The new media are technologically oriented communication channels that enable 'user-to-user' involvement in today's society. With the advent of the Internet, the conventional 'one-to-many' model of mass communication was superseded by the prospect of a 'many-to-many' web of communication. In today's world, the internet is also one of the most significant tools for interactive communication. Interactivity has become a buzzword for a variety of new media use possibilities that have emerged as a result of the rapid spread of Internet access points, media digitization, and media convergence. In today's society, the internet has also become a significant communication channel.

The Internet is a vast network of communication networks that has altered the way people live, learn, work, earn, and communicate around the world. The Internet, commonly referred to as the 'NET,' is a network of computer databases and information services. The Internet is also referred to as the world without borders—neither in terms of time, location, or language. Its global reach and ability to link to any sort of computer have shattered communication barriers.

Wikipedia is an online popular encyclopaedia that defines what the Internet is and what it means: "The Internet is a worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks that use packet switching and the Internet Protocol to convey data" (IP). It is a "network of networks" made up of millions of smaller domestic, academic, business, and government networks that together transmit diverse information and services like electronic mail, online chat, file transfer, and the interconnected web pages and other resources of the World Wide Web (WWW).

The Internet is defined as a "electronic network of networks that links people and information through computers and other digital devices, allowing person-to-person communication and information retrieval," according to DiMaggio, Hargittain, Neuman, and Robinson. In terms of gathering, spreading, generating, and criticising information and engaging with people, the computer and the Internet have opened up a whole new universe. The variety of content available on the Internet is astounding. The Internet is the most recent communication technology revolution [1,2].

Description

Evolution of internet

Internet usage is increasing. The internet makes a great amount of comprehensive information available to the public. The internet has become the latest educational trend. Academic life necessitates the use of computers and the Internet. Students utilise the Internet to gather more detailed information. It is an essential link for scholars as well as the general public. The use of the Internet could be streamlined to benefit pupils the most. The Internet is based on the merging of computer and communication technologies. Both of these technologies have advanced at an unparalleled rate since the 1970s.

The World Wide Web, which is part of the Internet, was envisioned in 1989 at Europe's CERN high-energy laboratory. The Internet was made available to the general public in 1991. When the Internet Society was founded in 1992, it marked the official start of the Internet. The goal was to make it easy for scientists and employees all around the world to share research and ideas. Of fact, the Internet has developed into much more than a research tool. It has become a communication medium for a much larger, worldwide audience since the debut of graphical web browsers. It is without a doubt one of the most significant developments in the history of human communication, comparable to Gutenberg's invention of the printing press.

In the early 1990s, the Internet became popular. The Internet revolution began in the United States. The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was instrumental in the construction of the Information Processing Technology Office (IPTO), which for the first time connected country-wide radar systems. In the Internet revolution, Leonard Kleinrock, Licklider, and other scientists conducted ground breaking research.

India has emerged as a global information superpower. It is still one of the world's fastest growing major telecom markets. Over the previous two decades, India's government has implemented significant reforms. In 1995, India's state-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) introduced Internet services. The government abolished VSNL's monopoly and privatised Internet services in India in November 1998. According to the most recent figures, the country has roughly 200 operating ISPs. The Internet and Mobile Association of India claims that the inexpensive cost of broadband has aided in the country's increased Internet usage.

Despite the enormous number of providers, only 10% of ISPs account for 90% of consumers. In terms of subscribers, the state-owned BSNL and MTNL have quickly risen to first and second place. India's Internet revolution has been fueled in large part by the rapid proliferation of cyber cafés. Around 60% of Internet users visit one of the country's more than 10,000 cyber cafés on a regular basis. According to Broadband Market Services, the number of broadband subscribers in the country is rapidly expanding [2,3].

Internet as a medium of communication

The Internet has various distinguishing characteristics. First and foremost, the Internet is a live, interactive media. To put it another way, the Internet is a two-way communication medium. A user, rather than a viewer or listener, is someone who uses the Internet. 'User' implies controllability and activeness. Internet users can develop their own information or actively search for and access information on the internet. People also assess the material provided and express their opinions so that others can see them.

Interaction with other users is another aspect of the Internet's interactivity. On the internet, opinions and viewpoints are openly exchanged. Even if  television viewers can actively choose a channel, watching television is still a passive activity when compared to using the Internet. For us, the Internet has proven to be one of the most inventive creations. It has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, including the economy, society, health care, spirituality, and so on. The impact it has had on the education industry is one of its most notable advantages. Students now have access to a large number of research articles as well as the most recent science and technology news.

The Internet has presented society with new issues, the most dangerous of which is the impact it has had on the younger generation of users, including children, adolescents, and youth. Many countries have recognised internet addiction as an illness, and rehabilitation centres have been established to assist people in recovering. According to scientific evidence, a big percentage of Internet addicts are children, who are particularly sensitive to its negative consequences. The Internet has a number of benefits and drawbacks [4].

Internet's importance

The rise of new media, such as the Internet, has expanded global communication. People can now express themselves through blogs, websites, photographs, and other user-generated media thanks to the Internet. Education, business, administration, development, and other operations have all become more global as the Internet has evolved. The Internet culture has taken humanity down new roads and contributed to its overall development. Internet technology has also improved information access and utility for people from all walks of life.

The Internet is a global, freely accessible network of interconnected information sources that transfer data in the form of video, audio, pictures, text, computer programme files, and other formats over computer networks. Using the Internet for commerce, education, communication, advertising, and entertainment is hilarious. The user benefits from services such as electronic mail, online chat, forums, blogs, content transfer (data or programmes), and interconnected web pages amongst millions of smaller domestic, professional, academic, religious, entertainment, business, medical, political, and government servers [5].

Conclusion

Many academics in subjects such as education, psychology, and sociology have investigated the impact of the Internet on people and society, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of utilising it. The Internet has a favourable and harmful impact on children, teenagers, women, and other members of society in modern civilization. According to the most recent Internet survey, approximately 900 million people were online worldwide. According to the findings, almost all educational institutions around the world, regardless of level, geography, or poverty concentration, have Internet connection. Because Internet use among users is rapidly increasing, experts need to understand the influence of the Internet as a medium of communication in modern society

References

1. Broadband Market Services. “India-Broadband Market, Internet Services and Forecasts.” (2011).
2. David, Marshall Stephen. “Access and utilization of information services through Internet among high school students; unpublished thesis, Bangalore University, India.” (2013).
3. DiMaggio, Paul, Eszter Hargittai, W. Russell Neuman, and John P. Robinson. "Social implications of the Internet." Annu Rev Sociol 27 (2001): 307-336.

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4. Kubey, Robert. "TV and the Internet: Pitfalls in forecasting the future." Knowledge, Technology & Policy 13 (2000): 63-85.

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5. Leon, Alexis and Mathews Leon. “Fundamentals of Information Technology, New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.” (2000)