Introduction The advent of Internet communication technology is in and of itself, a positive move toward overall global advancement, but the costly social impact is what concerns Lebanese families and sociologists alike. This fear is further amplified by the anticipated social disintegration that may result. The positive aspects of the Internet: As a result of the Internet there is almost nothing that cannot be accomplished from the comfort of one's own home; grocery shopping, buying merchandise, paying bill, researching for term papers and even striking up relationships with people half way across the world. Communication, which once consisted of putting pen to paper, has now been reduced to a few key strokes and a click of a mouse; indeed, people are able to correspond via E-mail faster and easier than traditional mail services could ever hope to offer. The positive aspects of the Internet are immeasurable and go without saying; this paper's focus is on the negative effects of the Internet. The social impact: A. Alienation: Alienation from institutions such as the family, education and places of work may result from the following factors: Lack of face-to-face socialisation is turning into a considerable problem for those who have locked themselves inside the anonymity of their computers. Indeed studies have shown the tendency for people to become significantly stres...
