New Internet studies programs are being added to the course books of colleges and universities around the country. Brandeis University will offer such a program as a response to student demand, becoming one of the first schools to do so. Although classes will not be offered next semester, the program will include a course called “The Internet and Society,” which will cover free speech, ethics and copyright laws. Another class offered in the anthropology department will meet three times a week — once online, once offline and once via chatrooms in class — and will allow students to compare virtual and face-to-face dynamics.
By combining disciplines within these classes, Brandeis is showing that the Internet is a vehicle that can facilitate the way that companies disseminate information and communicate with each other. Learning how to use the Internet effectively and ethically is an important skill that college graduates need to make themselves competitive in the business world. Students should view the Internet as a means to an end, not the other way around.
Colleges should also explore ways to incorporate the Internet into existing courses. The Internet can be a useful tool in the classroom and in academic study. Internet studies is a relatively new field that should be analyzed and investigated by students who are eager learn explore the intricacies and social implications of the Internet.
Although lawmakers have not designed ethics regulations specifically for the Internet, free speech and security issues still affect the way people and businesses use it. Court rulings such as those regarding Napster have set the precedence for copyright laws and stirred public debates, but it is important that students discuss these issues and think critically about how the Internet’s role in our society because they will help determine future laws for the medium.
Brandeis’ program and others like it will help shape and advance Internet studies by allowing businesses and individuals to develop more effective uses.
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