因特网社会与生活(Internet,society and our lives)

　　there is increasing concern that those unable to use and access new

　　technologies marginalized from all aspects of economic and social activity. internet has become an essential and powerful influence on our everyday lives. however, if used improperly, internet can put us at risks too.

　　the internet is a wonderful source from which we can retrieve valuable information. moreover, it facilitates our communication with people far away from us at a cost substantially less than that of traditional means of communication. also, it can be an important building block to children's learning because vast amount of information is only clicks away. there is evidence suggesting that computer use is linked to slightly better academic performance.

　　however, we have sufficient evidence indicating that the internet can be a harmful influence on people. for example, its addictive power has increased children and youngsters' time spent in front of the computer screens at the expense of other healthier physical activities, thus increasing their chance of getting overweight and short-sighted. in addition, children have limited ability of telling right from wrong and therefore are subject to the potential contaminating influence of the harmful materials on the internet.

　　in short, the negative influence of the internet should be minimized by diverting people, especially young people's, interest to other areas of life. like every other thing, internet is like a coin that has two sides. we must realize its harmful potentials while making use of it to achieve a better and more meaningful life.