Internet boon or bane for nepali public sphere

Abstract
As the access to the internet reaches mass market in all countries; this research paper
identifies and evaluates the emerging research agenda, focusing particularly on nepali
public sphere and examines the effects of internet on nepali public sphere. The major
purpose behind this was bloom in internet since the last decade. Whole world is now
dependent on the internet. Every work is done on the internet and life has become easy.
Basically, it was found that people are spending more and more time on the internet, which
had some advantages and disadvantages. According to many research done regarding the
use of internet by nepali public sphere some results that it helped in extension of public
sphere ,it links with diverse opinion to one another ,citizen created hyperlinked content
would not need to follow the baises whims and market demands that constrains traditional
media without barriers to entry .the public sphere would become vastly broader and more
representative. Whereas some limitations like lack of socialization ,fake news ,decrease in
creativity and plagiarism So, we can’t predict by these surveys only that internet can be a
bane or boon. We have to see all the aspects of the internet and how people use it.
Whatever the conclusion may be but internet is the need of hour. Anybody cannot imagine
life without the internet. The use should be proper to enhance best result by nepali public
sphere.

Introduction
Globally internet has emerged as an inseparable and inevitable medium of exercising free
speech. It is so far the most precious gift of 21st century that science and technology has
offered to promote free flow of ideas and information regardless of frontiers. The phenomenal
rise in the internet-based exercise of seeking, receiving and imparting information and ideas
from any part of the world, in a true sense, has superseded other traditional means of freedom
of expression. It is utterly unimaginable to separate internet from freedom of expression and
information, and exercise free debate in isolation. Internet has thereby become a life blood of
people –.With nearly half population using internet for various purposes including
communications, entertainment and knowledge in Nepal, the multifarious subject of internet
freedom has drawn concerns from different quarters. Today the the concept of global village has
been materialized linking people from one corner of the globe to another. The growing use of
social media such as facebook, twitter and online communication tools like skype and viber has
deconstructed the practice of communications and opened up avenues for citizens to be
constructive part of governance from any part of the world, regardless of any borders.However,
the people here are harassed by the State in the name of cyber crime As the technology and
Science develops towards development on one side, lot of harmful things are happening on
other side. Science and Technology is a vast subject. Time will not be enough to discuss about
that vast subject. So let see a drop of that ocean which is nothing but 'Internet'. The usage of
internet is such a drastic improvement and the number of users day by day increasing. Even
children in school education are very much familiar about the internet and its usage. At the
beginning, when computer are introduced, people are against the computer since it reduces the
manpower and so many people will be unemployment. But after few years, situation changed.
Now without computer, it is impossible to make things better and now all the organizations are
computerized. The same situation is going on for internet usage today. will be in very much
critical position. Even to say, it will affect regular life of human beings. Without internet, the
communication will be very difficult. The following are few of the usage of internet, which is
mandatory nowadays. 1. Banks 2.Airway 3.Travels like Bus transport 4.Universities 5.Schools
and colleges The above said usages are very important nowadays. Without internet they
Nowadays most of the houses are having internet connection to communicate with friends or
relatives who lives abroad and far off. This will be cost effective whereas by using telephonic
conversation rates will be high when compared to video chat through internet. Negative effects
of internet:

While using internet, there are some things which are negative and ruin the human life. Some
websites are very harmful to the human mind. Even some websites are changing the mental
attitude of youngsters which makes their mind to forget about their career. Nowadays so many
people are going behind Social networking sites. There are some social networking site which
helps to improve their knowledge, business and social relationship

Internet is the source of communication which connects you with the people who are sitting in
the other corner of the world. It connects you very fast and the important is that it is free of cost.
You can make video calls via Skype which is totally free of cost. There are about 31 million
people who use Skype for communication. There are also so many services on internet for
communication such as Chatting rooms, E-mails, Facebook, and so many others. , which is a
fast growing source of communication. Through Facebook people know about the culture of
each other and many people get chance to speak and share their ideas the people of other
countries which without internet is impossible. You can visit the whole world just sitting in your
room. There are so many Facebook accounts which are just to promote the religious teachings,
culture and tradition and so many other. We share so many important things on Facebook. The
E-mail is the cheapest and easiest way through which you drop your message to your friend,
relative or someone whom you want to send with in no time even if he/she is offline.

In addition internet is nice source of entertainment where we find so many interesting things like
videos, games, movies, music and news .You can find the music you want to listen totally free
and can download it instead of going Bazar to purchase the particular album and sometimes it
become difficult to find that album on shop so your time is wasted but now you can find same
thing on internet free which save your money as well as your time. There are so many other
interesting things on internet, we sometimes make new friends on internet, when we get bored
we just go online chat with them and have fun.

The business has the important role in the development of countries and to improve the
business the internet is very much helpful. Business man consider internet as blessing for them.
It has made business easier for everyone to carry out, with very small investment they can have
much profit, now the businessman can advertise their particular business easily without wasting
money. There are millions of business websites. Now it has become possible that you can do
shopping sitting at your home, there are so many online stores and shops where you just put
the order and you get your thing at your home. By online shopping your precious time (for which
one great scholar had said that time is like ice if you would not use it at time it will melt away
and will be of no use) is saved and your money for going out ,having taxy will also be saved .
There are many people who are earning just sitting at home by doing online jobs. Currently
about () people are doing online jobs to fulfill the needs of life and for them internet is nothing
less than blessing. Most of the organizations, institutions, and departments advertise their
vacant seats for job on internet and someone who is looking for job can easily find it. So it has
also an admirable role in employment of the countries like nepal where there is large number of
unemployed people struggling for job

The character and extent of the Nepali public sphere has changed significantly since the early
1990s. Then the powerful media outlets were all state-owned. Print and radio media ruled the
public domain. Non-state owned print media was in its infancy and non-state radio and
television were not even present in the landscape. Electronic mail was hardly in use and social
media as we know it today had not even been invented. Not only was the media restricted, the
number of participants also came from a predictable social geography. In such a milieu, face-to-
face interactions and observance to community bound rules had an obvious high value. Over
the last 10 to 15 years, Nepal’s public sphere has been saturated by non-state print, radio and
television media. The active use of social media as part of the public sphere has become quite
common. The public sphere has now been extended to encompass the diaspora and short-term
migrants scattered globally. Maturation of various social and identity movements have
introduced themes and styles of discourse in Nepali public life in ways that sometimes seem
very discordant. The universities, with their annually burgeoning graduates entering into social
space with their linguistic and political competence, have multiplied. Growth in the volume of
public research activities has also added to this mixture however every things have both positive
and negative parts and effects in the same way there are several limitation of internet which can
strongly debate internet to be bane one current example of this is mentioned below :-

On Saturday, an audio clip suddenly went viral. In the widely shared clip, a person is heard
saying six people tested positive for Covid-19 at a private hospital in Kathmandu. At a time
when the general public is concerned about the possible spread of the virus that causes Covid-
19, the audio clip could have easily prompted panic. The person in the audio clip was giving
reference to Norvic Hospital in Thapathali, which within hours put up a public notice, clarifying
that the audio was fake. Issuing a statement, Norvic Hospital also called for action against those
who spread the fake information.

Police took cognizance of the incident and said they were launching an investigation.

Later on Saturday afternoon, police arrested 20-year-old Bibek Thapa Magar of Ramechhap,
who currently lives in Sipadole, Bhaktapur.

Magar had initially shared the “news” on Facebook on Friday evening, but by Saturday morning
the accompanying audio clip had been circulated widely through various social media platforms
and instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Viber.
“We arrested the youth at around 3pm,” an inspector at the Central Cyber Bureau of Nepal
Police told the Post on the condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to speak with the
media.

During interrogation, Magar confirmed his involvement iinvolvement in circulating the audio clip
from his Facebook page.

“Investigation is underway,” said the inspector.

Over the past few weeks amid the Covid-19 outbreak, fake news and information have flooded
social media platforms across the globe.

While Covid-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, the
proliferation of fake news about the disease has been branded “infodemic”, given the threat it
could pose to communities.

Officials and experts say people today live in the digital age and just as Covid-19 is spreading
fast, fake news is spreading equally fast on social media.

According to Prabhakar Pokharel, a psychologist at Kist Medical College, fake news can be
more dangerous than the virus, as it spreads very quickly.

Conclusion
In conclusion internet is boon for nepali public sphere .not only nepali public sphere it is one of
the best things ever invented in humanity .the amount of things we do over the internet is
extremely phenomenal.it is an absolute great tool to learn and communicate in just a click of a
mouse.it can save plenty of time which is needed to visit face to face or in group for anykind of
decision making ,it helps in the extension of public sphere message travels worldwide in very
few seconds it helps in spreading the knowledge and gaining among desired people and helps
public sphere to work more actively for the welfare and decision mking process although there
are some limitation like spam,bullying,trolls,fake news and isolation we must be able to avoid
negative effect and go with positive factor of internet so that we will be able to catch the bright
side of internet and prove it as a boon rather then being hit by limitation of internet and thinkin it
as a bane for nepali public sphere.

Refrences:-
Martin chautari(mc)
The Kathmandu post
Wikipedia.com