Waste Time on the Internet - Article Review Sample

Introduction

Go Ahead: Waste Time on the Internet is an article written by Kenneth Goldsmith from They Say I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing book compiled by Cathy Birkenstein and G. Graff. In the article introduction, the author questions the kind of activities that can be carried out on the internet and whether these activities are a waste of time or not. Thus, the article discusses a series of standard opinions on internet utilization and follows it with “I Say” statements. This paper will summarise the article Go Ahead: Waste Time on the Internet article by Kenneth Goldsmith and provide a personal response.

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Confusing Mix

Goldsmith says that the idea that the internet is bad for users is based on the notion that the internet is a monolith. The author opposes this view claiming that the internet, in reality, is a confusing mix of the sublime and stupid, contradictory, fragmented, and shattered medium. The author notes that most people do many things on the internet that reflect individuals' desires and interests compared to time spent watching the television where people are fed shows that they do not necessarily enjoy wasting their time.

The articles point out that critics argue that the internet distracts people. However, the author believes people using the internet exhibit a great wealth of focus, engagement, and concentration. Besides, the author refutes the notion that the internet has made people antisocial by arguing that they chat, text, and communicate via the internet. The author concludes that resistance to the internet is due to cultural reactions to change preserving the status quo, which has been around as long as the media has.

Waste of Time

I support Goldsmith's notion that the internet is not a waste of time when people need a break from work. To begin with, I believe that people do a lot of things on the internet. The internet provides information on important subjects that make people visit different sites to search. Nonetheless, I think it is easy for people to find themselves confused between productive and non-productive time on the internet. For instance, people can watch informative video clips on virtually any subject on online sites like YouTube. This information can be important for doing research or acquiring new skills. But there is also the possibility of watching irrelevant stuff and waste time.

The internet reflects individual desires, interests, and aspirations. Thus, people "waste time" since it makes them comfortable and happy. On a work break, I would read many informative articles about writing online since it makes me happy. Other people prefer playing online games during their work breaks because it makes them happy. Those people who overindulge on the internet are enjoyable, which means that there is nothing wrong with using the internet.

Also, people use the internet as entertainment. Time is a valuable resource if it is managed better. People who realize this and manage their time better have a sense of urgency when they take a break from work. As such, they will use the internet to entertain themselves before resuming to work more comfortable, refreshed, and happy.

I support the authors’ claim that the internet does not make us antisocial. The internet generation uses social media to communicate, interact, and network through texts, tweets, and posts. Every day, new friendships are forged on the internet. Indeed, people can easily communicate and network the internet globally, making it feasible for all computers in the world to communicate.

Conclusion

Using the internet during a work break is not a waste of time; they are not bad for users and do not make them antisocial. It has a wide variety of content for people to choose from, depending on their interests and desires. During a work break, the internet is beneficial to people since it can be used for entertainment, research, forging new friendships, or networking.

Work Cited

Cathy Birkenstein, and G. Graff. They say / I Say: The moves that matter in academic writing. 4th ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2018.