Surfing the Internet: Diving into the Depths of the Digital World

Written by: Sarah Yang Edited by: Carine Medellus

You are balanced precariously on a surfboard, glistening waves crashing in the distance and splashing bits of 0s and 1s across the sandy shore of the motherboard. A tropical breeze from the whirring fans blows past you, carrying the sound of mouse clicking and keyboard clacking. One wrong typo, and you find yourself plunging into the depths of… the internet?

But what exactly is the internet? Despite being a fundamental part of our daily lives, the internet is a foreign concept to most people who use it. Over the years, the internet has only grown in size. You can think of it as an ocean without an end , but instead of fish, there are  cat memes and trending TikTok audios. 

In simple terms, the internet is a network that connects computers from all over the world. It’s like its own bustling city: take a walk down one of the streets and shop at all the different applications and meet all the wonderful people who talk in abbreviations and memes. Just be careful when you’re crossing the street, because you don’t want to get caught up in the data traffic!

So then, how does anything get anywhere in this giant mess? When sending a text message, you’re most worried about picking the right emoji, but your phone is most worried about how to deliver the message. 

1. First, it has to translate everything into binary code, which is the language of the computers represented by 0s and 1s. (Isn’t that crazy? Computers can communicate through two numbers while we have to use thousands of words)

2. Then, it packages all those 0s and 1s into little packets of data so it is easier for transport across the treacherous internet. 

3. The packets travel through the internet with the help of routers, which are like the internet’s traffic directors. They direct different data packets in the fastest route to their destination. 

4. Finally, your text message arrives at the destination! But how will they know they’ve delivered it at the right place? This is where the IP address comes in. The IP address is your phone’s very own street address. 

Now, think about how fast this happens! A text message instantly appears on your friend’s screen so this whole process takes less than a second. 

January 1, 1983 is considered the official birthday of the internet. Prior to this, computers had no way of interacting with each other. Thank goodness for the internet! Imagine if Romeo wanted to send a funny cat video to Juliet, he would’ve had to use carrier pigeon. But as fantastic as the internet can be, there are also dangers lurking in the depths. While you might use your computer for entertainment like chatting on Discord or playing Roblox, there are people out there who want access to private information like passwords, social security numbers, or even worse, those cringy TikTok drafts you never deleted. 

The internet, like any other thriving city, is prone to terrible things like a widespread virus. On May 4, 2000, a seemingly harmless email with the subject line "ILOVEYOU" reached more than fifty million users. Included in the email was a simple text file called love-letter-for-you.txt., which when opened, overwrote files in the computer and stole private information, such as passwords. Unfortunately, this "Love Bug" also forwarded itself to all the user's contacts, plaguing more people. This widespread virus, among many others, is just one example of how something as impressive as the internet can still have shortcomings. 

It’s true that living without the internet now seems like such an impossible task, so here’s a challenge for you: try to go a day without using the internet. No streaming shows, no texting, no quick answers to random questions, and no ChatGPT. 

Just remember the next time you go diving into the waters of the internet to appreciate all its network of complexity that makes surfing through the digital world effortless. And remember: do not trust love letters emailed from strangers.

Keywords: 

• Precariously - in a position likely to make you fall; dangerously  

• Computers - an electronic device for storing and processing data; this can be anything from laptops to gaming consoles to even your personal cell phone

• Binary - language of the computers represented using 0s and 1s

• Packet - a collection of data that can be easily sent

• Router - data traffic directors that regulate where packets are sent

• IP address - how to identify computers connected to the internet 

References:

Kahn, R. (2019). Internet - Foundation of the Internet. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/Internet/Foundation-of-the-Internet

White, G. (2020). The 20-Year Hunt for the Man Behind the Love Bug Virus. Retrieved from Wired website: https://www.wired.com/story/the-20-year-hunt-for-the-man-behind-the-love-bug-virus/