Benefits of the Internet in the Field of Government – The life of today’s modern society cannot be separated from the internet. The internet plays an important role in various fields of human life today. The internet provides all the benefits in the form of convenience, efficiency, productivity in living life.
This article will review what the internet is all about? What are the benefits of the internet in human life? What are the benefits of the internet in government? and Use of Information and Communication Technology in Government Sector.
What is the Internet?
The Internet or Interconnected Network is a global communication system that connects computers and computer networks around the world. The internet is defined as a computer network that is connected to each other, which can be used as an exchange of information flows between one another.
O’Brien provides a definition of the internet. According to O’Brien, the internet is a computer network that is growing very rapidly, which provides positive benefits and impacts for the world of education, business, and government. The internet is a very important requirement for individuals, organizations, companies and government agencies.
When viewed in general, the internet has several functions and purposes that facilitate human life, for example:
- Facilitate the flow of information exchange
- Connecting people who are separated by distance, even between continents
When viewed in general, the internet has several benefits that certainly facilitate human life, for example:
- As a means of seeking entertainment
- Fast communication tool
- Complete source of information
- Media to add insight
The internet continues to experience its development until now. The internet is not only used to connect with each other, but has also become part of the lifestyle of modern humans. Almost all human activities are always related to the internet, for example, shopping, banking transactions, and studying online .
Benefits of the Internet
In conclusion, there are four benefits of the internet in human life, namely:
1. As a Means of Socialization and Communication
The internet is useful as a means of communication and socialization among human beings. Nowadays, we don’t need to meet face to face to be able to have a conversation with other people. There are inventions of online conversation technology such as Whatsapp, Line, Telegram , and other conversation applications that can make us connected in real-time with other people in any part of the world and can be anytime.
2. As a Business Facility
Besides being useful as a means of socialization and communication, the internet is also useful in the field of business or business. In the past, markets and buying and selling transactions could only be found in the form of physical shops or markets, which required us to go to these places to buy necessities. Now all of that has become easier with the existence of a marketplace .
With the presence of the internet, online markets are growing massively and rapidly, we can find whatever products we need and want on the marketplace . This certainly makes it easier for humans because it is fast, practical, and saves energy and time.
3. Self-Developing
Not only for doing business and a means of communication, another benefit that can be obtained from the internet is that it can be used to enhance self-development through online courses that can be attended only from home, you know! We can choose according to our own wishes the type of training and training time we want by searching for it on the internet, sometimes it can also be accessed for free or free!
4. Entertainment
Not only fulfilling needs, the internet offers to get entertainment in the form of both audio and visual. Starting from online games , to watching movies online.
Benefits of the Internet in the Field of Government
Well, apart from the four benefits described above. Internet is useful in the field of government. What are the benefits of the internet in the field of government? As we all know, today’s internet users are not only for business people, students, or ordinary people.
However, official government agencies have also used the internet to support and support services to make them faster, more practical and easier. The benefits of the internet in the field of government in this case apply to the central government and local governments.
The internet is useful for covering various fields of human life, such as in the fields of economy, society, education, banking, business, commerce, health, tourism, animal husbandry, agriculture, and even government.
Not only beneficial in terms of everyday life, the internet is also very useful in the field of government. If we look closely, almost all governments, starting from the central government and local governments, have their own websites that can be accessed by the public according to their needs and requirements.
In the field of government, the government uses the internet to create information systems that have benefits while facilitating government tasks.
The existence of this website certainly makes it easier for the government to carry out policies and services to the community. Not only that, there are still many benefits that can be obtained by both the government itself and society at large.
The internet is quite a positive impact in the field of government. The benefits of the internet in the field of Government, include:
1. As a Media to Receive Community Aspirations
The main benefit of the internet in the field of government that is often used is as a medium to receive people’s aspirations, especially for local governments. The public can channel their aspirations, criticisms and suggestions through the government’s official website .
By using this method, it can be said that it is more effective and efficient for the community. The use of the website as a means of accepting community aspirations is mutually beneficial for both parties, both policy makers and the community. This method is considered faster and easier. Without taking a long time, people’s aspirations can be immediately responded to through the relevant government websites.
With a website , we can submit complaints, criticisms, suggestions and input to the government easily and quickly. Almost all government agencies currently provide websites with facilities for complaints, suggestions, suggestions, and other community aspirations.
2. As Official Information Media
The use of the internet for the government can be used as a means to convey official information issued by the government. This information can be published through the official website to the government’s official social media so that users who follow it can find out and disseminate it to the wider community. In addition, visitors can also see data or official government structures listed on the government’s official website.
Everything related to information about government, both in the central government and in the regions, would be better if it was conveyed through the official website. This needs to be done in order to minimize the occurrence of hoax news or fake news which has recently been rife and growing in ordinary society.
The internet is a very effective medium to use in conveying any information. The government can submit official information on websites managed by government agencies that aim to provide services to the public.
3. As a Media Promotion
The benefits of the internet in the next field of government are as a means or media for regional promotion. All potential and tourism in the area, starting from the Village, District, Regency, City, to Province levels, can be promoted through the government’s official website. Promotion in this case covers the fields of tourism, culture, business, agriculture, forestry, marine, mining and others owned by the relevant government.
Internet in the field of government produces benefits. This is because the internet can be a medium for promoting regional potential, starting from the village level to the provincial level.
4. Facilitate Coordination in a Government Activity
In this modern and sophisticated era, coordination between superiors and subordinates can be done more quickly and easily via the internet. In addition, for their subordinates they can send tasks in the form of activity reports that have been made through an administrative system without the need to directly report face to face. This certainly facilitates and accelerates the coordination of activities in the government sector.
5. As a Government Media Campaign
The benefits of the internet in the next government sector are as a media for government campaigns. Campaigns in this case are in the form of new government programs, for example regarding family planning (KB), increasing legal awareness, healthy and clean lifestyles, programs to improve the economy and people’s welfare and other programs.
6. Facilitate System Administration
The government usually has a website that contains online data management facilities . This can simplify and standardize the administrative system between government agencies, central to regional or vice versa. This convenience makes the process of reporting financial, personnel, and reporting administration much faster and more effective.
7. Save Operational Costs
It is undeniable that the government of one region and another needs to coordinate and synergize together. Using the website can save agency operational costs because there is no need to hold meetings in person which will incur quite a lot of budget.
Each branch of government agencies in the regions must submit reports to the central agency on a regular and periodic basis. Likewise, central agencies always provide information and instructions to branch agencies in the regions.
8. Make it easier for people to get access to public services
The existence of the internet makes it easier for people to access government websites in obtaining information and getting services from even remote places as long as internet access is available in that place.
9. Supporting Public Information Disclosure
The internet provides information that is easily accessible to the public. This is useful for supporting transparency of information that should be known by the wider community, for example regarding budgets, management of social assistance funds, future development plans for a region, selection of partners in the procurement of goods and services by government agencies, and other information. The existence of information disclosure is useful so that the agency does not commit policy fraud or embezzlement of funds.
10. Inviting Community Participation
In addition, the internet can be an effective medium for the government in inviting community participation for various purposes such as recruiting volunteers, conducting surveys, working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and others.
So, those are 10 benefits of having the internet in the field of government that are useful for both the government and the community. Hopefully internet access in Indonesia will be faster and more evenly distributed throughout the country, so that policies and all information that has been set by the government can quickly reach the public.
Usefulness of Using Information and Communication Technology in Government Sector
The development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) continues to grow rapidly and penetrates into various areas of life, including in the field of government. Based on its history, technological developments have started since the revolution in England in 1760-1840. From England, the era of technology continues to grow to this day.
Quoted from the book entitled Learning Teacher Module: Using the Internet for Learning (Basic) by Indarti et al (2015: 7-8), current technological developments, especially information and communication technology have changed the human paradigm in obtaining information and communicating. Because, this period is no longer limited by the dimensions of space and time.
The existence of information and communication technology is currently useful to make it easier for humans to access the desired information, anytime and anywhere. Of the many fields, one of the fields that has felt the impact of the development of this technology is the government sector.
The Learning House reports the benefits of having Information and Communication Technology in the government sector, including:
- Services to the community increased.
- Information and Communication Technology developed in government or what is called e-government makes it easier for people to access government policies and services so that programs launched by the government can run well and smoothly.
- E-government can also support more efficient government management, and can improve communication between the government and the business and industrial sectors.
- The public can provide input, criticism, and suggestions regarding policies made by the government so that they can improve government performance.
- The relationship between the government and the private sector and the community has improved because the information circulating is easier to obtain
- The disappearance of the bureaucracy which has been a scourge for the business world and society when dealing with government.
Recommended Books to Read About the Internet
There are several books that can be read about the internet, for example:
1. Internet, Gadgets, and Teenagers: Becoming Modern, Productive, and Resilient Teenagers (2021) by Agustina Hendriati
The book, which was written by lecturers at the Faculty of Psychology, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Jakarta, encourages teenagers not to be affected by the negative effects of the internet. As we all know, today’s youth cannot be separated from using the internet and gadgets.
Supposedly, with the presence of the internet users can remain productive and resilient in dealing with possible negative effects of the internet. This book uses an approach by inviting teenagers to sort and choose good things that can be done in line with the needs of the times in using the internet and gadgets.
2. Banish Confusion with Healthy Internet (2021) by Donny Mrs
It is undeniable that today’s children more often open social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, and other entertainment sites on the internet. In fact, not all content in the application contains positive and educative values in building the potential of today’s children.
The internet can be like a double-edged knife, there are positive and negative impacts. The book Banish Confusion with a Healthy Internet (2021) is structured to assist parents in supervising their children’s activities while surfing the internet. Apart from that, it can also be used as a guide to prevent internet users from pornography, cybercrime , and malware .
3. Practical Guide to Using Internet Facilities (2021) by Jasmadi
This book written by Jasmadi discusses practical guidelines for using the facilities available on the internet. This book is suitable for anyone who wants to learn about the internet.
So, that’s a review of the article about the benefits of the internet in the field of government, I hope it’s useful, Sinaumed’s!