bonus assignment

In the future, the internet will become more and more prominent in everyday life- both having to do with relationships and not. I recently read somewhere that online shopping has sky-rocketed over the holiday season this year as compared to past years. And it’s not even December 5 yet. People would rather stay at home and shop then go out in the cold, traffic, crowds and look for gifts. The internet is the “one stop shop” without even having to leave the house. You can find anything and everything for that special person. The internet is easy. That, I think, is a big part as to why it is so important in many people’s lives. Whether it’s a relationship you are in, or an object you need to buy, or news you want to read, the internet has it all. And in the future, who knows what amazing new things people will come up with in the online world. It’s mind blowing to think of the possibilities. I think most of the theories we discussed in class will continue to be a factor for a long time in the online world. No matter how much more technologically advanced we get, people will still treat rich and lean mediums the same way. People will still find it often times easier to talk and share things about themselves online rather then in person. People will lie about their height or weight or college degrees or personality in order to be accepted and in order to not be lonely. People will fall in love, fall out of love, make business deals, argue and agree. And this will happen all online. But people will still interact outside of the online world. Still have families, settle down, have neighborhood bbq’s, go to church, the grocery store and the gym. School will still be a place where kids learn how to behave and interact with peers. Don’t get me wrong, this will all still happen. But there will be a constant theme- an overriding power which is rapidly beginning to show its force. And that, my friends, is the internet: Email, chatrooms, AIM, blogs. It will all become more present and even more part of everyday life. The challenge for the future will be to keep those face to face interactions strong and not let everything turn into CMC.