When you hear people complaining and shouting, it is highly likely that they are complaining about the Internet. They might be complaining because there is no Internet service where they are, the Internet has been disconnected, or the signal is weak. The Internet has become something indispensable. It is like oxygen and water to us. Statistics indicate that the number of Internet users will rise dramatically by the end of the year, by which time almost half the earth's population will be online. The International Telecommunication Union, an affiliate of the United Nations, expects that 3.2 billion people around the world will be using the Internet, around two billion of them in the developing world. Also, by the end of 2015 the number of Internet subscriptions through cell phones will jump to seven billion. We should note that the number of such subscriptions around the world in the year 2000 was 400. The Communications and Information Technology Commission said the number of Internet users in the Kingdom has reached 21 million, with an increasing demand for broadband services. Two years ago, the number of Internet users in the country was 16.5 million. Among the reasons that can be attributed to this surge is the keenness of users to subscribe to fast network services and the spread of smart phones and devices. Undoubtedly, the Internet has made many services available to society and saves time, effort and money. We rely on it heavily; however, we should be careful when using it because it has advantages and disadvantages. Two of the many disadvantages are spying on people and companies and hacking into their sites and the proliferation of porn sites. Our society is almost obsessed with the Internet, which seems to control people's lives. The first thing we, whether adults or children, ask when we get to a place is whether there is Internet service. I think we should have other alternatives so that our lives do not become disrupted if the Internet disappears.
