Nowadays, an average Internet user spends up to 15 hours online each week ("Alamy"). Not surprisingly, researchers also found out that one in four people spend more time being online than they do sleeping (Poulton, Sonia). These absurd statistics are one of the legitimate reasons why I believe that people should decreases the time they spend on the Internet. I'm strongly convinced that the Internet is merely a tool that functions to replace the "traditional" form of communication. Moreover, the Internet is also a platform that encourages cyber crime and self-inefficiency, thus conveying that the Internet is doing more harm than good.

Many people think that the Internet is the easiest way to stay in touch with other people. Even if this opinion is true, the Internet possesses threats towards our actual forms of verbal communication. It's ridiculous how many times I've seen families or friends sitting together instead of conversing with one another; they are too occupied with the gadgets sitting right in front of their noses. In other cases, individuals who feel alienated often find themselves on the Internet, looking for attention from other equally companionless strangers. Are we gradually losing the capability of being alone? Can we still think for ourselves?

All these worries also rest upon the shoulders of future generations. As individuals grow accustomed to the idea that communicating is typing and entering, the probability of having them becoming less eloquent in talking becomes significantly higher. Just the thought of any of this happening is horrifying. Nevertheless, spending less time on the Internet is a step in preventing and dodging these otherwise inevitable consequences.

Apart from being a tool of communication, the Internet is also a technology that generates income for many businesses and individuals. Take a look at e-bay, an American online auction and shopping website. On the Internet, you don't always have to offer a certain good to prompt earnings. Individuals who have special talents oftentimes provide their services through Youtube or Soundcloud. Unfortunately, as the amount of online platforms for businesses increase, so does the risks of cyber crimes and privacy invasions. Performing online transactions means purchasing goods at a cheaper price in many cases, but it also means that you are literally buying goods from potential posers. After your money has been transferred, there is no guarantee that those sellers will complete the transactions and shop off your ordered goods. Furthermore, terms and conditions on the Internet are frequently used by websites as a trickery tool. Did you know that Facebook, the online social networking service, actually sells its users information - yours and mine, don't be surprised. Facebook and every other social networking sites inserted along this statement within their terms and conditions agreement (Lisa, Schmeiser):
"You understand that much of the information that you submit to is submitted precisely for the purpose of disclosure in a variety of ways, and therefore such information is not subject to any confidentiality obligation."

Why are we opening up opportunities for the conduction of cyber crimes and privacy invasions when there are still many real-life environmental, social, political and economical issues abandoned unsolved? If we try to minimize the time we spend in the virtual world, maybe we would actually do something about, say, the issue of child trafficking or education inadequacy.

Most people may not use the Internet for communication or businesses, but they still use it for office work, research and educational purposes. The Internet is competent at providing individuals with an eclectic range of resources in regards to their field of interests. Nonetheless, despite helping people to become more productive, it can backfires and instead encourages inefficiency. Personally, when I open the Internet, I always feel like opening social networking sites comes before actual research or news reading. Additionally, sidebar advertisements are created for the sole purpose of attracting its viewer's attention, thus, distracting Internet users from what they're actually trying to do. Last but not least, Randall Munroe, the creator of XKCD web comic, had pointed out that not everything on the Internet is trustworthy. Anyone can insert a piece of information on the Internet and whether it's accurate or not, it will still appear as one of the results of your Google searches. We can't assume that everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing on the Internet. In order to refrain from reading reports full of inaccurate facts, procrastination and many other unfortunate events, people should cut down the time they spent on the Internet.

In conclusion, I stand by my opinion that people should reduce the time that they spend on the Internet, due to the fact that, the Internet is a dangerous tool that significantly displaces to be less efficient. The Internet is a disruptive technology that creates walls between our families, our friends, our jobs, our chances of taking any real-life actions and ourselves. I believe that, eventually, people will stop using the Internet at such an excessive manner. Now the question becomes: when will that occur? If it's not soon, then we can all look forward to abandoning the Earth and start living on the Internet.