The Internet and The Web
Internet technology, and particularly the World Wide Web (or simply Web), which made the Internet accessible, have irreversibly changed daily life across the world. Charles Silver, of the Forbes Technology Council, states that: “[t]he internet is arguably the most important technology revolution in the history of humankind” (Silver).
Originally conceived as a collection of research networks for specialized projects and communication, the Internet is so embedded into the modern consciousness that there are no aspects of daily life that are unaffected by it. The Internet of Things (IoT) allows objects with embedded sensors and software to communicate with each other over the Internet, thereby forming networks of these devices. The IoT is an important aspect of ubiquitous computing, where computing, or running any kind of task on a computer, can be performed at any time and from anywhere. The Internet has also become pivotal in mass media innovations and advances in digital devices (Brügger & Finnemann, 2013). The Internet has become such a fixture of everyday life that a specialized field of academic endeavor, Internet Studies, is being undertaken with the attendant journal articles, conferences, books, and presentations.
Three possible future directions for Internet Studies have been identified (Dutton, 2013). Because disciplines such as media studies, computer science, and sociology, among others, represent various aspects of Internet Studies, a likely scenario is a collaborative one, in which Internet Studies continues to develop through interdisciplinary synergies and cross-fertilization with existing academic departments. A second scenario envisions the fragmentation of Internet Studies into more specialized disciplines, such as mobile communication, privacy and security, or geo-political areas. In a third possible scenario, Internet Studies becomes a more multidisciplinary, integrated field. Specialized subfields, such as those just mentioned, can exist within this larger discipline (Dutton, 2013).
Regardless of how the Internet Studies develops in the future, it is a field with global significance. This significance will likely increase, particularly because of the prominence of mobile communication, Internet-enabled phones and other devices, the Internet of Things, social media, online journalism, and the embedding of other media into the Internet ecosystem (Dutton, 2013).
