How the Internet Changes Modern Culture. Research Paper

How the Internet Changes Modern Culture
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How the Internet Changes Modern Culture
Culture is simply the way of a people’s life which is how people generally go about their daily lives in a particular time period. The present culture cannot be described without talking about technology and how adversely it has distinguished this time period from any era that has existed before. The internet is a major product of our advanced technology and it has made the world a global village ("Internet and Culture," 2017).The global unity that the internet has created is what has resulted into a culture. The impacts of the internet on modern culture alone are very adverse such that these effects can be considered on their own as a culture. Some of the various ways in which the internet has changed modern culture are discussed below.
The mode of communication in the modern era has significantly changed due to the use of the internet. Currently, people rely on the internet to interact with one another for social or business reasons. Social media has been used as a platform to connect people worldwide. In this day and age, people assume that everyone must have at least an account in any social media platform since they are so engrossed into the culture (Fuchs, 2007). When people exchange their personal details nowadays, they include their internet contact information such as mail addresses, social media account names like Facebook names and twitter account names to facilitate communication. Conventional modes of communication such as face to face, verbal communication, and letter writing have been overtaken by the internet alternative channels such as video chatting, texting, and voice calling on mobile application such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
The process of passing information by the media through the internet has dominated over the classic newspaper means of communication. It is nowadays easier and quicker to get instant breaking news from media stations via the internet (Fuchs, 2007).  This reliable and efficient means of news dissemination has been embraced globally with every country relying heavily on the internet as a source of news. The trending news on social media platforms sparks conversational topics in different parts of the world hence creating global awareness on sensitive issues.
The internet has also facilitated dating in the modern era by providing avenues where people meet online and begin to socialize. Unlike in the olden days where dating and courting was done face to face, the internet has enabled socialization to be done behind phones and computers. Dating sites have enabled people to meet their spouses online and start families. Based on someone’s profile dating sites have enabled compatible partners to meet and get involved. The internet has also extended the dating sphere to extend past country borders to international borders (Porter, 2013). Couples have narrated how the internet brought them together by minimizing the geographical boundaries that held them apart. This culture of online dating is growing culture that has potential of bridging many cultural differences to two soul mates together.
The culture of education has gradually moved from the informal education to the formal education over the past centuries. However, the modern day has seen yet another shift in learning where education is done online via the internet. Students register class online wherever they are and attend classes at the comfort of their homes. Online courses have enabled many people who are not capable of attending classes due to geographical constrains and time to get diplomas and degrees (Pager & Candeub, 2012). Learning materials are easily available online as opposed to previous years where going to the physical library and attending physical classes was done. This culture of online studies has been facilitated by the internet.
The internet has also changed the way people earn a living in the modern era. Unlike the pre-internet ages where people sought manual jobs, this era has seen people work online to make ends meet. Many companies have been established online and millions of people worldwide earn due to the internet. Advertising via the internet has seen many businesses flourish with many marketing strategies of companies being linked to the online stage. Ordering goods online has been is a culture that has picked up with many online shops being established each and every day. The norm of going to the market physically is slowly being overtaken by time. Electronic payment options such as e-wallet services are been sought as safe means of making purchases online. E-banking has taken over the world since most business transactions are done electronically. Business empires such as telecommunication companies have greatly grown because of internet services they provide. Companies such as Google have the internet thank for their survival.
The mode of dressing in different parts of the world currently has changed drastically because of the internet. Designers have used the internet to showcase their clothing designs so as to attract people globally to buy their clothes. Most people nowadays get their clothing information online by looking at the trending fashion. The choices in dressing in the modern age has been influenced primarily by the internet as most people tend to copy what the celebrities are wearing and from which designer collection can they obtain those clothes. Major clothing lines rely on advertising on internet platform to reach global markets, thus its very common practice nowadays to get people from various parts of the world wearing the different cloths that their ancestors never wore.
Religious beliefs and practices have also been changed by the internet in the modern age. The internet has increased the scope of reach of peopl...