THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF INTERNET TO MALAWIANS

 

   

Internet is one of the common channels of communication here in Malawi. The advancement of technology and the internet has transformed the way of life of Malawians in terms of access to information, business activities, academic issues and many others.

                                

 The internet has facilitated interactivity among individuals within Malawi and across the border. People are able to interact with those in diaspora. They discuss issues of common interest like politics, economics, culture through different social media platforms for instance Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and WhatsApp just to mention a few.

The internet has also improved the education sector in such a way that students are able to access information and other educational materials easily through Google, Opera, Chart GPT and many more.

Zithembire Shaba, a student at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) says the internet offers information in different kinds, for example, text, audio, video, images, charts which are easily understood other than reading books only.

She further says, the internet offers links that help them to access more information and other related information on a certain topic.

The internet also help business individuals to sell there products online. Annes Phiri, one of the business individuals says internet has helped her to reach mass audience from different districts within Malawi.

“Once I display my products on the internet, a lot of customers place orders hence expanding the customers base beyond our local communities,” Phiri says.

She further says, the internet makes her to communication easily with customers, she is able to send products from Nsanje to Chitipa through the internet.

Although the internet has altered the way people access information and other activities, it has contributed to negative factors that has led to arrest, job loss, stress, conflict, laziness and loss of trust.

The internet has also limit other individuals from accessing information due to lack of technical skills, money to buy internet bundles, access to technological devices such smartphones and Laptops.

Juliah Seyani, a Malawian citizen explains that most of the stories and information posted through social media is fake.

 “I have lost trust in online purchasing because what we see on the post is totally different from what we get in terms of quality of the product,” Seyani says.

Reacting to the matter concerning academic purposes, MUBAS introduces a software called “Turnitin” to control plagiarism as most of the students were coping ideas directly from the internet and paste them on their assignments and project.