Noxious Effects of Laziness

¶ … Undesirable Internet Effects

The benefits of the internet include the fact that it is able to facilitate communication in near real time, with a degree of expedience that is virtually unparalleled in the history of mankind. Conversely, however, the internet is also responsible for a number of drawbacks in contemporary society. Perhaps one of the most salient of these is the fact that this technology has unequivocally resulted in a generation of lazy people who are acclimated to a culture of instant gratification that requires minimal effort.

One of the most compelling examples of this thesis is the impact that the internet has had on academics. There are several different facets of the internet that have made it considerably easier to perform well academically. For instance, there are entire websites that are dedicated to providing information about books that students are expected to read. Many of these sites are extremely detailed and provide comprehensive overviews of texts including quotations, thematic information, plot analysis, and character analysis. Therefore, whereas students previously had to exert themselves by reading texts to keep abreast of vital aspects of comprehension, they now can simply read a couple of pages on a website in order to get the same information that will allow them to earn credible grades in literature. Because of the lack of effort involved in such an approach, many of today's youth are simply too lazy to read books and do their schoolwork correctly.

Another convincing example of the way that the internet has made young people academically lazy pertains to numerous facets of composition. There are certain web sites that are entirely dedicated to writing customized academic papers to suit the individual needs of students and their assignments (Moore 3). Such web sites enable students to specify their instructions for their assignment, the amount and variety of citations they require, and other facets of writing a paper. As such, it is possible for students to be extremely lazy about written assignments, provided they have the funds to do so. All of the hard work and thought that typically goes into composition is easily expedited, which results in a situation in which many young people are simply indolent about writing papers. Clients for these academic writing sites can include college students, high school students, and even elementary school students.

Another way in which the internet can make young people lazy pertains to their recreational activities. Numerous video games are available online. In some instances, players can compete against other opponents who are real people in such a setting. The realistic graphics and images involved in these games make them an attractive option for the recreational activities of young people, who might eschew common modes of recreation such as playing outside and interacting with others literally and physically. Therefore, what young people are actually missing is an opportunity to exercise and physically exert themselves in the fresh air, which is part of the trend towards "social isolation" (Hampton) that the internet facilitates. Such omissions and the convenience of the internet games contributes to young people's laziness.