Does the Internet separate people or bring them together?
The Internet can be used to communicate with people over great distances instantaneously, which is a very good thing. However, we often use it to talk to people who aren’t that far away from us. For example, I can talk to a friend who lives a few houses away from mine by using programs like Skype and Messenger, rather than visiting him and talking face-to-face.
Some people may call it laziness, but I don’t think that this is the case. The main reason for communicating on-line, rather than face-to-face, is time. It takes a lot less time to talk via instant messaging programs than to arrange a meeting, get dressed, go to the meeting place and come back again after talking. Therefore, more time can be spent talking than getting ready to talk.
Instant messaging programs also provide services like Voice over IP. This is the same as a telephone call. But apart from speaking, you can also transfer photos and other files. Moreover, if you have a digital web-camera, the person you are talking to can see you. So we see that even body language and verbal signs can be transferred over the Internet.
Another good way of communication is forums. Those are more like e-mail, because you are not directly talking to people, but leaving messages for them. These messages can also include pictures and videos, but they are not real-time. Forums have several advantages: you can log on, read any message you want and post your own at any time you like, not only when the other person is on-line; there is more time to think about your message, what you are going to say and how you are going to say it; your message can be read by anyone who wants to (if you need personal messages, use e-mail). Since the Internet is global, people from all over the planet can meet there. But in real life there are time-zones, so real-time communication may be difficult because it might be night in the area where your overseas friend lives when you want to talk to him.
I believe that the Internet is a great way to talk to people and since it is very convenient to use it, it brings lots of people together, who otherwise might not meet at all. It cannot substitute for occasional face-to-face communication, but it can be used to contribute to your social life.