Final answer:
The internet provided various resources, including websites, search engines, and commercial platforms, transforming communication and business practices. Its expansion has had cultural impacts, facilitated media consumption shifts, and redefined job searching with platforms like LinkedIn.
Step-by-step explanation:
The internet made available a vast array of resources that transformed the way we communicate, access information, and conduct business. With the advent of service providers such as America Online (AOL), individuals started connecting via modems and phone lines, later advancing to broadband connections that leveraged cable television lines and dedicated lines for heightened data transmission. The 1990s witnessed the emergence of the first websites, internet search engines, and commercial internet platforms, laying the groundwork for contemporary digital landscapes.
As the internet flourished, it facilitated global media access, although this raised concerns about the spread of consumerism and potentially undesirable values. The transition from text-based to multimedia communications, facilitated by fiber optic networks and 4G/5G cellular technology, has paved the way for the internet to potentially replace traditional broadcast television. Notably, the World Wide Web further revolutionized the digital environment by hosting hypertext web pages that conveyed data, images, video, and sound across interlinked networks.
Furthermore, the internet has significantly impacted employment, with job seekers utilizing platforms like LinkedIn for job opportunities. Such advancements highlight the internet's indispensable role in modern society and its integration into daily life, from the provision of educational resources to the emergent queries around digital access and regulation regarding suitable content and internet usage across different demographic groups.