This paper critically examines the internet's impact on society, arguing that its negative effects outweigh its benefits. Drawing on Reid Goldsborough's analysis of online misinformation and a multi-study investigation into Facebook use and social disconnection, the paper contends that the internet fosters the spread of false information and promotes unhealthy dependency rather than genuine human connection. While acknowledging that the internet accelerates access to information and communication, the paper maintains that traditional methods — libraries, in-person conversation, phone calls — fulfill these needs equally well. The argument concludes that the internet's drawbacks, including exposure to harmful content and superficial social bonding, make it a net negative for modern society.
Our society has come to rely on the internet for nearly everything. We routinely use it on the street to navigate, research restaurants, and shop. The internet has undoubtedly opened society to technological possibilities never before imagined, but for all its positives, is it really the best thing for our generation when problems such as children accessing pornography persist? Furthermore, does the internet truly make us more connected?
This paper argues that, despite its positives, the internet is ultimately a negative force: it disseminates false information and leads to greater social disconnect by allowing users to substitute online resources for traditional forms of communication and community. This thesis will be supported by a review of two key sources and original analysis, with both supporting and dissenting perspectives considered.
The first source examined is Reid Goldsborough's article "Can the Internet Be Trusted?" Goldsborough argues that the internet is the greatest "boon to information dissemination since the invention of the printing press." He also recognizes that the internet, like the printing press before it, is remarkable but not without consequence. Both inventions altered the course of humankind, yet both introduced new problems. In the case of the internet, those problems include information scams and the widespread presentation of false information. Goldsborough further notes that information is easily published online and that appearances can deceive — even a professionally assembled website may contain entirely unreliable content.1
Other researchers have examined the psychological effects of social media, specifically whether Facebook helps users meet their needs for relatedness and belonging. A multi-study investigation by Sheldon, Abad, and Hinsch explored this question directly. The first study found that more frequent Facebook use correlates with both connection and disconnection from society. The second study examined how users coped when access to Facebook was restricted. The third study observed what users did after that restriction period ended — predictably, those who had been prohibited from using the site during the second study used Facebook far more heavily once unlimited access was restored.
The research also introduced a "Facebook reduction goal," designed to help frequent users reduce their dependence on the platform. Collectively, these findings suggest that reliance on Facebook is not psychologically healthy: the platform does not reliably fulfill users' social needs, and frequent users are often left feeling unsatisfied rather than genuinely connected.2
"Internet benefits matched by traditional alternatives"
This paper aims to prove that the internet's negatives do indeed outweigh its positives, as stated in the thesis. The evidence reviewed — from Goldsborough's analysis of online misinformation to the psychological research on Facebook dependency — supports the conclusion that the internet, for all its convenience, introduces harms that undermine its benefits and that traditional means of communication and information-gathering remain viable, and arguably healthier, alternatives.
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