By Steve Johnson, MA, LPC, NCC, Licensed Professional Counselor
While I was in college in the mid 1990s, whenever a preview for a new movie was shown on television, I would often remark to my roommates, Man, wouldnt it be great if we could just press play and watch that right now?! I could never have guessed that Id only have to wait ten years to have the opportunity to experience that for real. The on- demand movies we have today make that an everyday occurrence. Of course, all our lives have been affected since the Internet came into existence in 1995. Only for about 15 years now have the terms email, surfing the net and being online been present in our daily conversations. There are many rewards of this technology, but there also are risks that exist, too, especially as the Internet gets more and more integrated into our day-to-day experiences. In fact, 75% of Americans have access to the Internet and use it more than we do any other source of media to stay informed.
In addition, we have many convenient ways to connect to the Internet and how we can control it. By using all the Internet-ready devices that we might have in our homes, jacket pockets, cars, backpacks, bedrooms, and living rooms, we have instant access to weather forecasts, news updates, our favorite movies, TV shows, and music genres. Nothing preceding the Internet gave us such personal access to - and control of - this entire media.
I am certain many people echo this satisfaction of information on demand. Additionally, people cite the time an ...