The Internet - its negative repurcussions

There is no doubt about how invaluable the Internet is; there's no denying how it has changed our lives and how convenient and easy it is to use.

The litany would be long and exhaustive, we know what the advantages of the Internet are, don't we? Yet, the advent of the world wide web has also introduced modern day problems.

1. Computer vision syndrome - the result of spending long hours staring at the computer screen. To relieve this, what my eye doctor told me was to blink more often!

2. Web Addiction - many people would not deny it. It's becoming one of the most popular forms of addiction. When it interferes with your priorities or when your work never gets done because you spend most of your time browsing the web idly, it's time to lie-low and reconsider the habit.

3. Gaming - some reports suggest that if children play more video/internet games than actual sports, then can become sickly become of the lack of exercise. What's more? It's also possible that they'll lose interest in studies and hence possibly hinder the mental development of these children.

Gaming addiction is not just young children's problem. Many professionals and parents are actually also addicted to games like Warcraft, SecondLife, etc. Although these games are just means of recreation, when you spend more time playing games online than with your family, friends, or partner, then you have become its slave.

4. Information overload - there just too much information and sometimes we cannot distinguish which are reliable and which are not.

5. Invasion of privacy - anybody can just take your pictures and post them over the internet within seconds for the whole world to see, even without you knowing. Sometimes, people blog about people they loathe, love, or admire. People are dragged into discussions and talked about in forums and they may not know it.

6. Malwares, worms, trojans, viruses and other forms of malicious codes - some are harmless, some are destructive, some people create malicious codes to show ability or just do them for fun. Like in wars, the casualties are the unarmed users.

7. Spams and other unwanted emails - they're not threats but they can be annoying (some are funny, though)

8. Theft/fraud - this is of course as old as time but some people do have online modus operanti to deceive and rob others.

9. Are people really becoming social hermits? Do people limit their social interactions in just Facebook and other social networking sites and never reaching out to their real-world classmates or coworkers?

Well, what else do I have to mention? Can you think of anything more to add?