One of the most significant achievements in the information and communication sector is the internet- the technology connecting a computer with millions of computers in the network. The internet has now expanded across the globe with millions of users. More and more people now a days are getting hooked to cyber space being disconnected in a totally connected world. For most, it is like a drug or a daily fix. For some people it is the complete substitute for life. Even there are some who forget their food and breath in with the internet in stead of oxygen. They opine, “If we are not on-line, we will probably wither away and die”. All these are the symptoms of what is known as Internet Fever. This fever knows no age, gender, race, religion or region and can affect everyone.
A computer with internet connection causes the Internet Fever. This fever is because of the many-sided advantages of the internet. The internet takes the computer and ‘information technology’ onto a new stage with the computers communicating with each other. It provides access to the most diversified sources of information hosted by individuals and various organizations world wide on vast network servers. Presently the internet gives on the World Wide Web or just Web which interconnects thousands of servers created by various organizations, commercial establishments, industrial units, academic establishments, common or particular interest groups or even private individuals. The web pages loaded on the servers provide various types of information, pictures, animation, multimedia etc either free of cost or for a modest fee. Besides, the web pages offer services like e-mail, conferencing, electronic publications and other commercial facilities. It is a new mode to trade text or information from one point on the globe to another fairly, quickly, cheaply and easily.
Again a huge amount of information ranging from government laws and systems, trade and commerce, education and job opportunity, society and culture, health and treatment, geography and sports, politics and history, science and technology is available on the internet. Further, internet has brought a great revolution in fulfilling basic needs. We can now buy necessary things, book railway and air tickets, reserve hotels, pay taxes, telephone and electricity bills, and even draw money from banks by internet. One can also read whatever book he wants to read only through internet.
The students are getting admission information, filling their forms, taking tuitions, seeing their results by the internet. It too has become more valuable than a huge library for providing students all possible worldwide data and information. It is also a great hub of recreation for the youth. The downloading and uploading facilities are superb characteristics of the internet.
With all these revolutionary novel features, internet too suffers from many negative sides. It has given birth to Cyber Crime- a crime of diddling, tampering and thefting the data, and also blackmailing after using the data. Again unauthorized locking of data, tampering the programmes and changing programme logic are also included in this crime. The credit card frauds now a days have become a common phenomenon. The web sites related to sex are spoiling the career and life of millions of teenagers worldwide. Many internet parlours have become sex centres for many school and college going boys and girls.
But inspite of all these, serious drawbacks, we have to unanimously agree to the point that life in this ultra-modern age is not possible without the internet. Hence, the internet will continue to impact our world in ways that have never been possible. And, this internet fever will spread at a heavy rate without any disastrous side effects.