Role of Internet in Present Scenerio

The Role of the Internet

So far, we have explored common forms of communication, in this section we will investigate the newest form of communication, the Internet. In a study, "The Face of the Web", the Angus Reid Group found that more than 300 million people are using the Internet and 150 million more will do so this year. They also found that 59 percent of the United States population regularly use the Internet, this represents 39 percent of Internet usage worldwide. Although the US is currently the leader in Internet usage, the trend is quickly catching on in many other countries.

The Angus Reid Group study also revealed that adoption rates are very high once users have logged on, people begin using the Internet for many reasons in addition to those that originally made them connect. They have even begun using it as a means of meeting people, there are many sites on which you can enter a "chat room" and talk privately or in a group. This method of communication rules out all non-verbal communication, people can only express themselves with written words. Internet communication forces people to be much more expressive with their writing and leaves much room for interpretation from others. This makes the Internet a very interesting form of communication.

Along with the trend of meeting people on the Internet, there are new "matchmaking" sites, which could change the face of dating, as we know it. This new way of starting a relationship is vastly different than that of the past. A completely different courtship process is inherent to meeting people on the Internet. People may communicate several times strictly by electronic mail or letter mail before ever speaking. It is also common with Internet dating for people to consider the prospect of a serious relationship before actually meeting someone. This is a far cry from the "standard" form of courtship, which usually begins upon meeting a person.

Hundreds of sites on the Internet are dedicated to...