THE INTERNET’S IMPACT For some, the

THE INTERNET’S IMPACT
For some, the advent of television marked the beginning of the end of civilized society. More and more, people have watched TV at the cost of playing cards or board games, or other communal pastimes. Many fear that the Internet too will further limit social interaction.
That may be true but, as researches at Stanford University in the USA are the first to say, further study is needed. In a recent survey they found that the Internet and the use of e-mail have actually increased some forms of human interaction. What’s more, people who go online are likely to watch less television than others.
The study makes two things clear. Contrary to all the fuss in the media, the Internet’s popularity is still in its infancy. More than half of US household are not connected yet, but the Internet’s potential impact on how we live and interact is enormous.
Workers may be using the Web on the job for such personal ends as checking sports scores but according to the study, they also use the Internet to work from home. Just 4 per cent of the surveyed Internet users said they had cut back on their working hours since getting connected to the Internet.
But will the Internet make us more isolated socially? While a fourth of the Internet users say they spend less time talking on the telephone with friends and relatives, e-mail allows them to stay in touch, regardless of distance. Since e-mail is free and can be sent and received at any hour of the day, it has many built-in advantages. For some it has actually revived the highly social art of letter writing.
Few would argue that the Internet has had a profound effect on the lives of many in its first decade of common use. But assessing its long-term impact is difficult. That’s why for all the questions they raise studies such as Stanford’s are so useful. If we don’t pay close attention to how we use the Internet it will change our lives not just for better but for worse.

Результаты (русский) 1:

ВЛИЯНИЕ ИНТЕРНЕТА Для некоторых появление телевидения ознаменовало начало конца цивилизованного общества. Больше и больше людей смотрел телевизор за счет игральных карт или настольные игры или другие общинные забав. Многие опасаются, что Интернет тоже будет далее ограничивать социальное взаимодействие. Это может быть правдой, но, как исследования в Стэнфордском университете в США являются первыми, чтобы сказать, необходимы дальнейшие исследования. В недавнем исследовании они обнаружили, что Интернет и использования электронной почты на самом деле увеличить некоторые формы человеческого взаимодействия. Более того люди, которые идут онлайн, вероятно, смотреть меньше, чем другие. Исследование делает две вещи очевидны. Вопреки весь шум в СМИ, популярность Интернета все еще находится в зачаточном состоянии. Более половины домашних хозяйств США еще не подключены, но потенциальное влияние Интернета на как мы живем и взаимодействуют огромен. Работники могут использовать Интернет на работу для таких личных целей как проверка спортивных соревнований, но по данным исследования, они также используют Интернет для работы из дома. Только 4 процента опрошенных Интернет-пользователей сказал, что они сократить их рабочего времени с момента получения подключения к Интернету. But will the Internet make us more isolated socially? While a fourth of the Internet users say they spend less time talking on the telephone with friends and relatives, e-mail allows them to stay in touch, regardless of distance. Since e-mail is free and can be sent and received at any hour of the day, it has many built-in advantages. For some it has actually revived the highly social art of letter writing. Few would argue that the Internet has had a profound effect on the lives of many in its first decade of common use. But assessing its long-term impact is difficult. That’s why for all the questions they raise studies such as Stanford’s are so useful. If we don’t pay close attention to how we use the Internet it will change our lives not just for better but for worse.