The pros and cons of the internet

Generally when people talk about the Internet they talk about how amazing it is and how much it has improved everyones' lives. Yesterday in class when we talked about the World Wide Web we talked about all of the improvements it has brought and the new possibilities it has opened. Yes, the Internet is a media that allows us to do almost anything, but doesn't it have some setbacks? I would say the Internet definitely has its downfalls. First off, though it has helped us with communication all over the world, it has also seemed to hinder human to human interactions. It seems that people communicate more via the Internet (e-mail, facebook, instant messaging, etc.) than they do face-to-face. It seems to have made many relationships and interactions less personal. Another con about the Internet is that it has caused a lot of distraction for just about everyone. I find that when I have to do an assignment online i often get sidetracked by links that I see or even by just knowing that there are tons of different things I could be doing on the Internet instead of my assignment. This isn't the case with just me either, many of my friends procrastinate doing work by surfing the web or even just going on facebook, getting just about nothing achieved. Another setback of the Internet relates to a previous blog post I did about the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" In that blog post I wrote about the article and how I myself find it to be true. The article basically says that the Internet has shaped our minds into wanting information quickly and easily, not involving any critical thinking. Not that it kills all critical thinking and analytical skills we have, but it does seem to have a hindering effect on them. The list of cons could go on but I'm gonna stop myself here and see if you guys can think of any other negative effects the Internet has on society.