The Impact of the Internet on Social

behavior
With the spread of technologies that can overcome the obstacles of time and space (e.g.,
airplanes, cars, the Internet), one would think that these tools would be used to gain the
following benefits:

 an understanding of other cultures,

 meet people all over the world,
 maintain and strengthen familial relationships, Ignore
 communicate effectively with others, and
 help people to become more socially adept.

However, some technological advances cause people to be confused, overly stressed, and
increasingly isolated. Many people are involved in an abundant number of relationships through
technology, but sometimes the quantity of these associations leaves people feeling qualitatively
empty. Obviously, technology has had a profound impact on what it means to be social.

The Internet users global population:

Almost 4.65 billion people were active internet users as of May 2020, encompassing 59.6
percent of the global population. (see below details).

WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS

2020 Year-Q1 Estimates
 Penetration
Population Population Internet Users Growth Internet
World Regions Rate (%
( 2020 Est.) % of World 31 May 2020 2000-2020 World %
Pop.)
Africa 1,340,598,447 17.2 % 526,710,313 39.3 % 11,567 % 11.3 %
Asia 4,294,516,659 55.1 % 2,366,213,308 55.1 % 1,970 % 50.9 %
Europe 834,995,197 10.7 % 727,848,547 87.2 % 592 % 15.7 %
Latin America / Caribbean 658,345,826 8.5 % 453,702,292 68.9 % 2,411 % 10.0 %
Middle East 260,991,690 3.9 % 183,212,099 70.2 % 5,477 % 3.3 %
North America 368,869,647 4.7 % 348,908,868 94.6 % 223 % 7.5 %
Oceania / Australia 42,690,838 0.5 % 28,917,600 67.7 % 279 % 0.6 %
WORLD TOTAL 7,796,949,710 100.0 % 4,648,228,067 59.6 % 1,187 % 100.0 %

While the internet penetration in the world becomes very high and continuously increasing, see
below statistics,

From the above statistics, it is clearly discovered the effect of the internet of the world. The internet
now controlling everything of our life ,starting from how to eat, how to educate, to get jobs, find your
partner, to play games, to communicate with the others, to watch your home while you’re outside,
industry ,…….

The Impact of Internet Communications on Social Interaction:

The statistical reports of 2019 reveals that the average internet user spends more than a quarter of their
life on the World Wide Web.
According to the report, the 6h 42m internet time is the world’s average online each day whereas
mobile devices remain to be a popular mode for connecting to the digital world.
The numbers above equate to more than 100 days of online time for an average internet user. That is
more than 27 percent each year.
A study of students and information technology found that 95 percent of undergraduates surveyed used
social networking sites (see below figure). Many of the respondents reported using such sites daily.
Figure indicates how undergraduate students use social networking sites. This report found indications
that use of these sites is increasing yearly. Let us now look critically at whether this trend is positive.

The use of social networking sites has both positive and negative consequences. It is amazing how
someone can find a long-lost friend through a social networking site, enabling them to reconnect. In a
society where people have become quite mobile and family and friends are often geographically
separated, it is convenient to keep in touch through technology.

However, one need not look far to find problems associated with social networking sites. There is a lively
debate about whether Internet addictions are real.

Although divorce and loss of employment are serious issues, perhaps they are not as common as other
problems that have the potential to stem from social networking sites. Narcissism—excessive interest in
one's appearance and in oneself—is sometimes manifested on social networking sites. These Web sites
have been found to be an avenue for people to display their narcissistic traits online (Buffardi &
Campbell, 2008). I often wonder whether people use these sites to display their popularity to the world
rather than use them as a vehicle to develop meaningful relationships.

Creating meaningful relationships is often about sharing our lives with others, and technology can allow
us to do so through photos, videos, text, and music.
Perhaps overcoming a sense of isolation is one of the greatest features of online communities and
virtual worlds. Someone might feel like an outcast in her own community or family but might find
someone online with similar hobbies, pursuits, and interests. Consider someone who enjoys
photography as a serious leisure pursuit. This person would be able to share that passion with people all
over the world by using the Internet and its powerful tools (e-mail, video chat, discussion boards, online
video, family Web sites). However, simply sharing common interests and pursuits with people through
technology does not necessarily have a positive impact on social skills and social development.

Negative effect of the INTERNET.

Social media technology breaks social relationships.

How does someone end up spending their lives this way?

If one does not notice this and stops it, I feel that it will not develop a sense of autonomy. He
will not be able to establish personal or professional relationships; Because he does not feel
able to handle important matters alone. There is no doubt that he will face many problems in
his life if he is - in the end - accustomed to asking for a vote on everything that confuses him.

He thus assigns decisions about his life to the public!

Yes, he leaves the fateful decisions in his life in the hands of the public. But perhaps as he
reaches some point in his life - when he is in his twenties or thirties - and gets a job, he begins
to feel uncomfortable about this, and then begins to develop emotional skills that he has not
familiar with before.

The lack of a sense of the true exchange of feelings during the conversation
There is no real exchange of conversations, as if we say that sympathy is not important for
one's sense that someone understands.

Among the reasons that helped humanity advance: Working in groups, as this gives each
member a better chance of success. Will moving to live on the Internet reduce these benefits?

Well, that is the question before us now. Does what we do undermine or enhance human
competitive advantage? Many of my colleagues think that we are improving on them. The
Internet provides us with new ways to communicate and form alliances. But I think we have
reached the point of the tipping point; While we are fascinated by virtual reality, we fail to deal
with the actual reality in which we live. We need to strike a balance between the extent of the
effect of virtual reality and the fact that we live within these bodies and on this planet. It is easy
for us to turn a blind eye and ignore reality, but will we go out of the virtual world into reality
and help our real societies become what they should be?

No one can practice his professional or personal life without using his phone or email, and
students cannot get their own curriculum without him. We have no choice out of the world that
is dominated by this technology.

The question is how will we be able to lead a meaningful life in the presence of this ever-
connected, always-person-centered thing? Even wait for this technology inside our ears, on our
clothes, or on glasses.

So how do we solve this problem

The solution will be by developing a form of general practice, and I think companies will
contribute to this after realizing that it is not good for people to be permanently connected to
the Internet. It will also introduce standards and norms for taste and courtesy.

Suggestions on how to start making that happen

One of my ideas is that there should be holy places where it is not permissible to communicate
over the Internet, such as the dinner table that includes the family, and the car. Let's make
these places attractive. Because discussions are the antidote to many of the problems we are
talking about. If you talk to your children, to your family, and to your circle of acquaintances
and friends constantly, these negative effects will not arise as much.

Conclusion.
We need to re-evaluate our dominant culture, which demands more, better, and faster. We
need to stress the importance of what we need for our thinking, development and improving
our relationships with our children, our communities and our life partners.

References:
1. https://us.humankinetics.com/blogs/excerpt/technology-can-have-positive-and-negative-
impact-on-social-interactions
2. https://www.scientificamerican.com/arabic/articles/from-the-magazine/social-
technologies-are-making-us-less-social/
3. https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/the-impact-of-the-internet-on-society-a-
global-perspective/
4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/arabic/articles/from-the-magazine/social-
technologies-are-making-us-less-social/

P R E PA R E D B Y: YA S M I N S A M Y F O U A D

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