Has The Internet Caused More Harm Than Good?

Using the computer is what most students do when they get home from school every day. For them, connecting to the Internet is a must. Most students make use of the Internet to play games and to communicate with their friends. The Internet also helps them in their projects and research work. Moreover, the use of the Internet helps to conserve the environment as emails and e-news websites reduce paper usage. Although the Internet has negative aspects such as pornography and online scams, its positive ones far outweigh them. As such, I strongly disagree that the Internet causes more harm than good.

The Internet helps students to find out more about the subjects that they are taking or are going to take. It helps them clarify things that they are unsure of. Search engines on the Internet also help students to widen their general knowledge. In addition, students can conserve the environment by emailing their friends instead of writing letters. What’s more, communication with their pen pals is faster through emails.

Furthermore, the Internet can help everyone to connect with people overseas. As a result, we can make friends with people from other countries and learn more about their cultures. The Internet has also made it easier for people with have relatives or friends overseas to communicate without the use of money. There is no cost attached to emailing or chatting online. The Internet also allows them to see their relatives or friends in other countries through the webcams. In this way, they can also know how are their relatives or friends doing.

Besides the above, the Internet allows people to shop online as it is convenient and time-saving. However, shopping online may encourage people to buy more as it is more convenient and people do not have to go out to buy. Hence, they might spend more money on the Internet than going out to buy personally.

It cannot be denied that the Internet has its dangers. Irresponsible people make use of it to cheat young children and women through chat rooms. There is a plethora of pornography websites on the Internet as well. Some people also argue that the Internet causes harm as students start to lose concentration when they get too obsessed with their Internet games and sometimes, online chats. However, the Internet is not harmful in itself – the blame should not be put on the Internet but on the people who use it for harmful purposes. Students should also have the self-discipline to stop using the computer when they have to.

In conclusion, the Internet is not as bad as it seems to be. Although the Internet has its dangers and unpleasant aspects, this negative influence can be controlled by avoidance, as well as behaviour. Ultimately, the Internet has more benefits than harm.

(467 words)

An Interesting Thing That Happened During The Holidays

Despite having been to Hong Kong many times before, I had never been to Ocean Park. Last December, I was finally able to visit this tourist spot. It was my first trip there and the most memorable ride that my family and I took was the ‘Raging River’, a boat ride on a winding waterway.

Before we boarded the boat, we saw some people wearing ponchos. We were puzzled about this and wondered why. I was filled with trepidation as we boarded the boat. We did not have seat belts and had to hold on to the handrails. The boat moved and we had a slow ride around before we went up a steep slope.

Due to the twists and turns of the waterway, we kept knocking into its sides. We went through a dark tunnel, up a gentle slope before arriving at the final steep slope. At first, I naively thought that the gentle slope was the highlight of the ride and I screamed when we descended it. Little did I know that the boat would take us down a more fearsome slope.

While the boat was going up the slope, I was really nervous and my heart was stamping furiously. My parents told my sister and me not to release our hands no matter what. We heeded their advice and as the boat plunged down, I screamed my lungs out! It felt as though my heart had been left behind.

At the end of the slope, the water splashed onto our bodies. The towering waves drenched us from head to toe. It was then that I realised the need for a poncho and regretted not wearing one.

I had sat at the end of the boat, which was the worst position because it felt like I would be flung out of the boat any time, when it went down the slope. It was the most thrilling ride that I had ever taken. Nonetheless, I vowed never to take such rides again because it was also a traumatic experience for me.

(342 words)