My Favorite Highway: The Digital Highway

Written By Amir Rahimi

From streaming your favorite show to turning in homework online, the internet has quietly, yet quickly transformed every part of our daily lives. Overall, the internet is a vast network of computers and devices connected worldwide, allowing people from anywhere to communicate, share information, and access resources almost instantly. It has become an essential tool for many things, from education, to entertainment and global communication. According to the University of Delaware, the Internet’s structure acts as a central platform that impacts how we learn, work, and connect with others worldwide everyday.




The internet was not created by one person only, but through decades of work, collaboration, and innovation. However, its origins trace back to ARPANET, a 1960s project that was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense to connect multiple universities and research centers. Later on, engineers Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn developed the TCI/IP protocols, which allowed for different networks to communicate easily, slowly forming the backbone of the modern internet we use today. About a decade later, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web (WWW), a system of websites and pages accessible through browsers, which runs on the Internet but is not the internet itself. Together these developments all transformed ARPANET’s experimental network into the global internet we all rely on today.



The Internet works by connection devices world wide through networks, servers, and rules that help keep data organized. Networks are groups of connected computers, while servers store and deliver information to users, forming the backbone of the Internet. Every device has a unique IP address, and domain names provide human friendly labels to make websites easier to find. Information protocols ensure these packets are delivered correctly and in the right order and travel in small bits of data packets. Which are then reassembled once they are all delivered and have reached their correct destination. TCI/IP protocols make sure these packets are delivered correctly and in the right order, allowing the information to be put back together, making communication reliable in this process. Finally, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) connect homes, schools, and businesses to the global network, allowing people to access websites, apps, and services. Together, these components allow the Internet to function as a fast, reliable, system connecting people and information worldwide.





Though often used back and forth, the Internet and the World Wide Web are not the same. The Internet is the global network infrastructure connecting millions of computers, while the Web is a system of websites and web pages accessed through browsers. The Web is just one of many services that runs on the Internet. Other services include email, file sharing, streaming, and online gaming, all of which rely on the Internet’s infrastructure. One good way of understanding the difference between the internet and the world wide web is that the Internet itself is like the road and highways in a way, connecting cities and people, while the Web is just one type of traffic that travels along those roads. Understanding this distinction helps people see why the Internet is more that just websites, it’s a foundation that makes digital communication and information sharing easy and possible. Even as newer technologies emerge, the Internet continues to provide the infrastructure that allows innovation on the Web and beyond. 






The Internet plays a crucial role in the world as we know it today, connecting people, businesses, and information worldwide. In education, students can access learning materials, participate in online classes, and submit assignments from anywhere with the Internet. In communication, it allows people to send emails, messages, or even video chat across the globe instantly, keeping . In business, it allows for online shopping, increasing businesses profits and purchases. It also helps with online banking and remote work. Instead of flying across a country to meet with potential customers, a person could just video chat with them over zoom. It also powers entertainment, from streaming services and music to gaming and social media platforms.  However, the Internet isn’t clean, coming with certain risks that some people may not want to risk. Some of those risks being privacy concerns, cyberattacks, and the spread of misinformation. Despite these challenges, the Internet remains an essential tool that shapes the way we learn, work, and connect in our daily lives.


From its beginnings as a small experimental network to the global system we rely on today, the Internet connects billions of people, powers education, and allows for global communication, entertainment, and business. Understanding how it was created and how it works helps us appreciate its role in daily life and the impact it has on society. As technology continues to advance, the Internet will keep evolving, offering new ways to learn, connect, share ideas, and innovate globally. It also presents newer opportunities for future breakthroughs in fields like healthcare, science, and artificial intelligence (AI), making it not only a tool for today, but a layered foundation for tomorrow. By recognizing both it;s power and challenges, we can use the Internet responsibly and creatively to shape a better, more connected world.

















Sources

  1. University of California, Berkeley – How the Internet Works

  2. MIT – The History of the Internet

  3. Stanford University – Origins of the Internet

  4. University of Delaware – Internet Business Foundations (PDF) https://www1.udel.edu/fth/itaw/ch01.pdf

  5. UCLA – ARPANET and the Birth of the Internet


Amir Rahimi
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