The Internet has become a real breakthrough of the 20th century. Information and computer revolution prepared the basis for the profound social changes, and today these transformations touch upon all the levels of the society – social structure, economic life and labor relations, politics and education. Covering all the sphere of life, global network has become an integral part of a modern man, without which human existence can no longer be imagined.
Indeed, a man of the 1960’s wouldn’t probably believe being told that it would be possible to instantly connect with any person on the planet, or to access any information accumulated by mankind, staying at home. Half a century ago, letters were written with a ballpoint pen, people spoke only by phone, and contacted through telegraph for urgent messages. Today the rate of information transfer from one point to another planet gives the opportunity to learn the news almost instantly, overcoming thousands of miles, not only from the network media, but also from each other. In addition, the huge amount of information contained in the network, makes it possible to gather almost limitless knowledge (Brockman 52). Many people have forgotten when was the last time they took a dictionary or encyclopedia from the shelf, because one can find the answer to any question on the Internet; for this same reason, public libraries have moved to background (Brockman 3). Although, people still mostly prefer a hard copy of fiction just as they did 60 years ago, often, it also involves mediated communication to the Internet through downloading an electronic edition to a pocket e-book with a display simulating the real book. Internet also gradually replaces out of our lives other models we are accustomed to, such as radio and printed newspapers (Mcmillan and Morrison 75). For example, a broken TV now would concern an average person much less