The number of people shopping online is increasing dramatically. What are the benefits of shopping online? Are there any disadvantages?

One of the most notable aspects of modern society is the growth of e-commerce. There are those who say that online shopping has enhanced our lives in various ways, while others feel that we are worse off because of this issue. In this essay I will examine the positive aspects and drawbacks of shopping on the internet and provide my overall opinion. From an overall perspective, there are two key advantages of using the internet to buy goods. Perhaps the main advantage of this phenomenon is that it is convenient. For example, shoppers can access user-friendly websites from the comfort of their own homes. A key result of this is that shoppers do not need to experience the stress of crowded department stores. Furthermore, online shopping is often cheaper. This is because of the fact that online shops do not need to pay rent and hire staff. As a result, they can afford to offer products at a lower price than ‘brick and mortar’ shops. Despite these arguments there are also various disadvantages to shopping online. One particularly disadvantageous aspect of internet shopping is that users must provide personal details to the website and this can threaten their personal privacy and security. For example, hackers could possibly access consumers’ bank details and steal their money. A second disadvantage is that online shopping causes people to become more withdrawn from society. Unlike in the past, people today are spending more and more time staring at a screen and not interacting with others, which can lead to depression and other social problems. My personal view is that if people are very careful about who they give their personal details to, and if they can find a balance between online shopping and traditional shopping, then the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages. If people use the internet wisely, it can be a convenient tool to buy the things that they need.