Caught in a web of intrigue

THE ART OF BEING ONLINE

There’s no doubt about it, the internet has revolutionised our lives.

Who’d have thought when the first computer was invented in Manchester 60 years ago it would mean you could one day spend hours watching stupid video clips on YouTube?

Millions of websites and billions of pages are at the end of your fingertips, a library of astonishing proportions. Even so, most people stick to looking at their bank account and checking Facebook to see if anyone new wants to be their friend.

If a question pops into your head, you’ll almost certainly find the answer online. There’s a good chance it’s not the right answer and you’ll have to choose from a list of two thousand options but it’s got to be better than not having a clue.

In education, the internet means teachers are no longer constrained by the four walls of their classroom or limited by a lack of books.

They can transport children all over the world and back in time or bring nature to life at the touch of a button.

And when the teacher’s back is turned the children can learn about the Kama Sutra.

Shopping online allows you to buy whatever you want and have it delivered to your door. Auction sites do a roaring trade.

The only thing sellers won’t part with is their shell suits. Some people do very well out of it, running mini empires from their back bedroom and it’s thought within a few years this will be the only industry left in the UK.

For the unlucky in love, the internet has also brought new opportunity for disaster.

They can chat to people on all corners of the globe, tell them they’re a bit of a looker and put up a photo of a young model if they feel like it. In an ironic twist, young models put up pictures of ugly people on their profile in that hope that prospective lovers will want them for who they are inside.

The speed of your connection determines how long you spend staring at the blue line as a new page opens. If it’s more than three seconds then a burning fire of hatred will well up inside you. More than seven and there’s a good chance the computer will get screamed at.

So, the difference the internet has made to our lives is huge. People of generations that went before could only imagine how it feels to type your details into a car insurance comparison site and lose them for the fifth time. That’s progress due to man’s inate desire to make life more easier. Whatever will we come up with next?


Next week . . . The Art of being Driven.