There has been a growing trend that residents tend to do their tasks like banking, shopping and accommodation booking via Internet rather than in person. While this development may bring about some major benefits, I personally think that it is more likely to have harmful implications.
On the one hand, there are some merits associated with this trend. Contrary to traditional ways of doing duties like shopping or hotel booking which used to be done in person, people nowadays can perform these tasks by apps or websites, helping users cut down on commuting time. Also, customers could compare prices among a wide range of websites and sellers and get discount vouchers, thus saving a substantial amount of money. Shopee may well exemplify this situation as it displays an array of products with competitive prices from sellers, and people could have their package delivered for free at the doorstep within one working day. As a result, most residents are inclined to perform their tasks online.
However, I would argue that the aforementioned benefits are overweighed by its negative impacts. As people are inclined to do online tasks which require users to provide a variety of personal information to create an account including credit cards, this could potentially lead to a risk of private data leaks, thereby enabling online criminals to hack their banking accounts or use their personal information for scamming or online fraud. For example, some hackers log on to celebrities’ accounts to threaten to upload their private videos or clips on social media platforms if these renowned figures resist paying a ransom. Consequently, the shift towards online transaction may give rise to cybercrime. Additionally, it might result in heavy dependence on the Internet, discouraging people from engaging in face-to-face interactions with others and even narrowing their social circle.
In conclusion, it seems to me that the potential risks of leaking private data and cybercrime are far more significant than possible advantages this development yields.