The Internet, Lifestyle and Society

Abstract

The digital revolution is not just a simple concept, it is a daily reality that involves and affects us all, and regardless of the country or continent we come from, whether we like it or not. The digital age brings opportunities that profoundly change people's lives. The various problems we face in society - especially those related to interactions with others (freedom, justice, etc.) - are not affected by the development of communication technologies and can be solved only in ways that do not enter their register. But the fact that every human being is connected has far-reaching implications. Through information networks, everyone has new job opportunities and can enhance their skills wherever they live. By combining information with genetic approaches, medicine becomes effectively "personalized." Education takes the form of more instrument-related forms, which make it possible in unconventional conditions. The equipment makes your apartment an electronic orchestra, and you become the conductor. Thanks to the widespread information, everyone's life is in a way at his disposal. From this point, however, the dangers begin. Users can give multiple identities, taking advantage of the chance to freely set up different email addresses. That being the case, the hidden people have already formed - who, in the anonymity of the Internet, distribute what they want - and, moreover, the black market of the news, which distributes allegations of virtual destruction of the virtual honour killing of people, as secret information is thrown on the market to expose or criminalize policies.

Keywords: Digital revolution, education, internet, information, networks

Introduction

Technics can create our space more predictability and development. But technics can also threaten privacy, erode security and fuel inequality. For sure, can have impacts for the society and for way of life. Like previous generations, we are the only power who can exploit and extract new technologies. Computers have influenced and are influencing our lives more and more intensely. They are everywhere now: in the office, at home, in train stations, in banks, in schools, in hospitals, in amusement parks. A generation ago there were no CDs, no TV cables, no ATMs, no PCs. Computers were, at best, three- to four-inch machines and had to work in air-conditioned spaces. The grandparents and parents of those of us who are older did not know or did not have access to computers. But the question of how people position themselves in relation to technology is becoming more and more relevant. We must make a clear distinction between rights and monitoring, so that humanity becomes the winner. Society can manage all these data much better (Baltac, 2011).

Problem Statement

The impact of the Internet on society, in the contemporary period - if people can still live without the Internet and how affects their access to life technology. Data-driven technology has the potential to empower individuals, improve human well-being and promote universal rights, depending on the type of protection implemented. Social networks connect almost half of the people on this planet We can talk to anyone in real time, regardless of geographic location. But we must be very careful about the phenomenon of disinformation, about how certain algorithms can instigate antisocial behaviour. In recent years, there has been more and more discussion about the power of the Internet and the power of social networks, and the recent tensions have brought the topics back to everyone's lips. The use of the Internet for personal purposes, especially as a way of spending free time, has contributed massively to its development (Cișmaru, 2015). There are games, forums, fun videos, cartoons on the web. The principle of net neutrality is that neither governments nor international organizations nor Internet providers can impose restrictions on their use of the Internet. This principle is the subject of international debate, with both supporters and opponents of Internet neutrality. Among the supporters of neutrality is the creator of the web concept Tim Berners-Lee, supported by large companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo (Grigorași, 2017). With the advent of the internet, the convenience of communication has increased immensely. Although this is a huge advantage, such comfort is accompanied by certain problems or disadvantages. The Internet and especially social networks are a high risk sector for the defamation controversy. The ease of exchanging information and web data is a key pillar that can lead to defamation. Also, the content posted on blogs, forums, news sites, online comments on various social platforms extremely popular among users such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, can be inaccurate and vicious in nature. Opponents include states with totalitarian tendencies and some cable distribution companies. It is risky to predict exactly how the Internet will evolve. Developments to date have exceeded any previous forecast (Boniface, 2018).

There are developments such as cloud computing, social networking, blogging, RSS, SOA1, grids, collaboration platforms, streaming media, and enterprise of the future2, IPTV/Television of the future together under the generic name of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 means the future development trend of the Internet for enhancing creativity, information sharing and especially collaboration. Some authors, including Tim Berners-Lee3, say that Web 2.0 defines features that already exist. The term Web 3.0 is also used for contrast as an expression of the Internet of the future. Web 3.0 will further care for privacy and counteract the dangers of cyber-attacks, the proliferation of high-speed connections and social integration, the radical change of the media, a new impact of search technologies, direct networks and blogs, all hampered by resistance to change institutions. An acceleration process is taking place. The time lags between radical changes in the IT field decrease exponentially; each change comes 2 times faster than the previous one (Baltac, 2016).

Research Questions

The main question was how they relate to the Internet: Search and download music, movies, books, hobbies, build or access personal blogs, find news, watch shows, chat with friends or network partners, make private connections , learn, practice how do I use the Internet? The contribution of the Internet to a more useful pastime is undoubtedly great. But pornography, gambling, and other illicit activities are also widespread. Many employees of companies or various organizations, including public administration, use part-time work for personal concerns, to the detriment of the activities for which they are paid (Stănciugelu et al., 2020). The evolution of the use of information and communication technologies is characterized by several macro trends: the spread of mobile devices and applications, broadband communication becomes the rule, content in networks and the Internet is constantly growing, the web (www) becomes the primary source of information, the web becomes a platform transactions and services, the Internet becomes a platform to connect to the objects around us. The question is whether there are technological limitations? (Horea, 2011). The answer is that there are no such limits for ICT infrastructure, Moore's law will be valid for another 10 years, miniaturization will continue and new equipment will appear. Smart cards, educational platforms, optical networks, fault-tolerant architectures, new multimedia standards, nanotechnologies, secure transaction architectures, real-time businesses, mobile services, they are all powerful technologies (Guțu, 2007). The Internet of Things or the Internet of Things is the trend in the Internet to develop the connection of many objects around us through sensors. Evolution is from billions to tens and hundreds of billions of connected objects. The complexity increases enormously, but new and new applications appear, both collective and individual. The presence on the Internet is no longer just a necessity; the world with the Internet will be permanently different.

Purpose of the Study

New forms of social interaction can be established through the Internet, primarily due to the large number of participants and the ease of use of specific applications, such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn (Grigorași, 2017). Through such networks, people find out who people with similar concerns are, interact with /without using their real identity, form new behaviours, communicate in the case of circles of people who know each other, but who cannot devote enough time to relationships with them. Purpose of the study was based on this idea: The Internet has become a dominant part of life and we can no longer deny the growing influence of technology. Basically, without access to technology, there can be no question of lifestyle! An experiment is Second Life by creating a virtual world in which each participant receives a new identity and behaves similarly or differently than in real life. (Milovan & Dobre, 2019) Internet interaction also has its disadvantages and dangers, especially for minors and people who are easily vulnerable to various behavioural deviations!

Research Methods

Following the application of a questionnaire on a sample of 107 subjects - students of the University of Pitesti, the questions were applied online, the results revealed the perception of young people: -

- Technology has a major impact on everyday life.

- Technology means quick access to education and information.

- The impact of technology on society is profound. It has both positive and negative aspects.

Technology has influenced almost every aspect of our daily lives. It has made our lives a lot easier, but it seems that we are gradually losing the charm of life. Everything has become so easy and available that it loses value. There is a certain amount of joy in getting some things with the power of your own hands, but now everything is just two or three clicks away. Technological development can help us enjoy more luxury, a much easier and more enjoyable life, but it seems to remove some priceless joys. Emails have replaced letters and communication seems to have lost that personal touch. The means of communication accessible to man are very diverse, and that magic seems to disappear, that joy of waiting to meet someone, the pleasure of meeting and the joy of reunion.

- The digital world is a new world, born during a single human generation and which confronts us with opportunities and dangers, divides us into digital natives and non-natives, forces us to adapt to radical changes in the ways of communication and interpersonal relationships. And above all, it confronts us with a future that is difficult to predict.

- The digital age brings opportunities that strongly shape the framework of people's lives. Education takes the form of more instrument-related forms, which make it possible in unconventional conditions.

- Technology is like a currency that has both positive and negative sides. We are the ones who decide how to use it!

- Escape from reality and limited interaction → when everything can be solved behind an e-mail, call, message, you tend to hide in front of a screen. You become comfortable with this style and you seem to "isolate" yourself a little from human interaction. Following the application of a questionnaire on a number of 107 students from UPIT in the period January - March 2022 regarding the way they relate to the Internet and it influences their life, we obtained the following results:

To the question of how often they access the Internet: 31.3% answered that to a very large extent, 22.5% to a large extent, 31.3% to some extent, 12.5% ​​to a small extent and only 2.5% in very small measure. When asked how useful the information on the Internet is, 20% answered that to a very large extent, 38.8% to a large extent, 26.3% to some extent, 10% to a small extent and 5% to a very large extent small measure. When asked if they found out more information through internet access than from other sources: 26.3% answered that to a very large extent, 20% to a large extent, 35% to some extent, 10% to a small extent measure and 8.8% to a very small extent. When asked if they can still conceive of life without an online connection, 93.8% answered that not only 6.6% believe that there are chances to live without digital technologies.

Findings

The central conclusion is that technology has an overwhelming role, and young people can no longer imagine their daily lives without access to the Internet, which verifies the hypothesis of the article: there can be no life without the Internet. Starting from this finding, I tried to discover the dangers that appear with this total connection to the new technology (Boniface, 2018).

Digital compromise - Anyone can now post on the Internet, be it a blog, a social network or a forum. A malicious person may anonymously or under his or her own signature compromise an organization or a person with defamatory or false information about it. Restoring the reputation thus achieved is difficult because the initial information is not deleted and is accessible to search engines. (Balaban & Szambolics, 2021) The media in search of sensationalism fully contributes to the scale of this phenomenon.

Any organization or person that is digitally attacked has techniques for rebuilding its reputation: be worthy, show what the truth is; apologize if necessary; acts to erase defamatory information; create your own version of the facts on the site, blog, social network. The scale of the phenomenon has led to the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union to oblige Google to respect the "right to be forgotten", to delete at the request of the injured party from the search results those that compromise a person or an institution (Baltac, 2016).

Digital stress - The widespread use of digital devices and applications causes modern man stress syndrome which is in severe cases associated with some physical and mental illnesses. The man has never been so interconnected as in the digital age and bombarded by information. Technological changes are fast and add an extra stress factor. Jobs are currently computerized and digital skills are required in most of them. Lack of digital skills leads to stress and reduced productivity, especially for the elderly. Competition with young people who are digital natives adds a stress factor and fuels a repulsive effect. Some people have moral or religious reasons for rejecting digital technologies. Others fear reduced privacy which is a real factor.

The obligation to use these technologies in the workplace or in society creates problems for them. Another stressor is the fear of electromagnetic radiation from mobile digital devices. Mobile digital devices (phones, tablets, laptops) emit microwave radiation (Patti et al., 2018). The fears are to some extent justified because the potential danger of electromagnetic radiation has been recognized in people who use mobile phones excessively.

The recommendation seems to be to avoid holding the mobile phone for a long time near the head of the user. The phone can be used with the headset and kept away from the body or with the use of its own speaker when conditions allow. At the other pole is the addictive phenomenon in which the subject accepts digital technologies and uses them excessively (Baltac, 2016). Addictions to smoking, alcohol, drugs, gambling and others are recognized as negative phenomena in society and their fight is decided. Digital addiction is less well known and has no negative connotations except in extreme cases, such as addiction to reading books or playing sports that no one would have reason to fight except in extreme forms (Schifirneț, 2014). The widespread use of mobile devices has also created a digital stress on the people around those who use them. We frequently witness loud calls in waiting rooms, public transportation, public spaces, and so on. Mobile digital devices are used contrary to etiquette in meetings, restaurants, other circumstances where the focus should be on interlocutors or core business, such as driving. Probably in the more distant future, the use of mobile devices in certain public spaces will be banned, such as smoking bans. The current ban on mobile phones is widely ignored.

Digital detoxification - Digital detoxification is one of the solutions to reduce the effects of digital stress and consists of refraining from using digital devices and connecting to the Internet for a period of time. It is claimed that such detoxification increases the power of concentration, reduces anxiety and induces a general state of well-being. The motivation for a digital detox can be to reduce stress or cure digital addiction syndromes. Among the benefits of a digital detox cure are superior mental health, better interpersonal relationships, better personal productivity and even physical health, as many people have professional activities that require them to sit in front of a monitor for hours causes joint pain, headache, inattention, insomnia (Newport, 2019).

Digital detoxification is no longer just a theoretical concept and has become an opportunity for many tourist attractions, where it offers relaxing conditions in an environment without Internet, mobile telephony, digital devices of any kind. There is also resistance to detoxification. People are having a hard time giving up on mobile phones and the Internet, on disconnecting (Baltac, 2016). When you need digital detox treatment: lack of concentration, dissatisfaction with the lack of currently used digital devices, irritation to their malfunction or depletion of the battery, reading the email on the smartphone in the morning before other activities, ignoring people in the family or society, using mobile phone for reading emails at shows, concerts, sports events.

The ability to connect to the Internet is equivalent to the feeling of having more social support. At the same time, they feel useful and "younger", mentally alert. Technology has the potential to help people to renew or develop social contacts and to become actively involved in the community, but it is necessary to increase their access and use of technology before realizing this potential. Research has shown that age negatively influences the desire to use new technologies and their subsequent use, even when controlling for education, occupation, or income. (Balaban & Szambolics, 2021) Also, age acts not only directly but also immediately on the process of adopting new technologies through factors such as social support (the support of others relevant) and other elements related to the relationship with others (perception of high social control). If in young adults the relationship between technology and age is mediated especially by the attitude towards technology, in the elderly the factors related to the social context are mediating variables. Due to the influence and power that the internet is enjoying at the moment, more and more deviations and ethical issues have arisen lately. There are a lot of people, companies and politicians, governments that use the internet to manipulate, control, defame and intrude on the privacy of some people.

Conclusions

Young people's lives are constantly related to technology, and society offers them more and more arguments to be permanently connected, in fact digitization is a ubiquitous concept, from connecting with friends, to downloading books, to paying the ticket, or an order for a product! There will be no institution, no person, and no government in the immediate future that does not bear the impact of ICT. The ubiquity of computers and the rapid pace of their technological evolution are the most significant aspects of the current computer revolution. ICT has become an integral part of our daily lives, our economic activities, and our social life. Developments in microprocessors, memory, software, and communication technologies have led to the belief that Internet standards and specific technologies can help us build computer networks that can connect anyone anywhere (Baltac, 2016).

The symbol of the convergence of telecommunications, computers and control technology, the Internet, is one of the vectors of the information society. It is a common fact to recognize that information is ubiquitous in human activities. ICTs, from the personal computer to the Internet, from the mobile phone to the global communications networks, are in full development and are transforming our life, our relationships, our organization of societies. Today we are engaged in a great scheme of growth, amplification, and extension of relations and communication between all beings and all things (Horea, 2011).

The potential of the Internet to inform, educate, entertain and establish itself as a support for the organization and conduct of business on a global scale is considerable. Some see the computer as an instrument that dehumanizes and reduces the quality of life or threatens their well-being. Others see ICT development as a challenge and an exciting opportunity (Baltac, 2016).

The Internet is said to be a unique creation of human intelligence, the first artificial organism endowed with intelligence, a huge marketplace of ideas, angora of the global community, which will require the adoption of new systems of government, the emergence of a new type of identity and social organization of new cultures. Due to the spread, development and improvement of the Internet, new areas of activity have emerged, the concept of communication and networking has changed, and the authorities have been forced to develop laws in the online environment as well. Although at the beginning of the spread of the Internet, the emphasis was more on self-regulation (each platform imposed conditions of use on Internet users), illegality also entered the online environment, self-regulation no longer being sufficient.

Rules of online behaviour: Netiquette. Netiquette is the collection of rules of behaviour in virtual space. An interesting Decalogue summarized after several opinions posted on the net sets out 10 rules:

Rule 1 remember that there are people behind the other screen

Rule 2 follow the rules of real life on the net

Rule 3 realize that you are in virtual space

Rule 4 respect the time and bandwidth of others

Rule 5 present you in a favourable light

Rule 6 share useful knowledge

Rule 7 helps extinguish quarrels

Rule 8 respect the privacy of others

Rule 9 do not abuse power

Rule 10 forgive the mistakes of others on the Internet (Baltac, 2015).

The concepts of e-Government, e-Democracy, e-Participation, open government and others characteristic of a democratic society in the digital age cannot be implemented without citizens' access to the Internet. These digital gaps1 mean that many citizens do not have access to digital technologies. This has led to strong pressure from the United Nations to declare Internet access a human right and for governments and international organizations to take action to reduce the digital divide. A first statement was adopted in 2003 at the World Summit on the Information Society - WSIS, which affirmed the right to access the Internet. Several countries, including Estonia, France, Greece, Spain and Costa Rica, have already proclaimed this right (Baltac, 2016). We are considered to be evolving from resource wealth to network wealth. This creates the need for digital skills for everyone. So the world of the internet is constantly evolving! The gap in broadband access is a concern not only for Internet access, but also for broadband access. The Internet is for everyone, not just for the elite!

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