Introduction

Contemporary society has been characterised by remarkable advancements in science, technology, and AI. The use of these technologies are unavoidable as far as contemporary education is concerned, and that is where modern educational technology springs from. Modern educational technology refers to the various modern skills, facilities, and resources that are employed in the teaching and learning process. The internet is one among a myriad of these modern technologies in education. The internet has been referred to as a “double-edged sword,” so-called because of its merits and demerits in the educational sector.

Merits of the Internet in Education

• Firstly, the internet has availed possibilities for E-learning, where one can be able to study anywhere in the world without having to move. This reduces the cost of having to travel to these locations for such studies. 
• It has opened up both teachers and students to many sources and libraries, which help to provide information necessary for students and teachers; hence, facilitating and enhancing research.
• Also, with the internet, there are more secure ways of storing information, as one can store educational material such as books, articles, assignments, theses, lectures, etc. on Google Drive for example, and be able to get access to the information at any time and from any device.
• Additionally, with the internet, there are many forums where students and teachers can interact, exchange information, and also attend conferences and symposia; which are relevant to the teaching and learning process, such as WhatsApp groups, Zoom meetings, and Google Meet, among others. 
• Moreover, the internet helps students and teachers to discover topics that have already been tackled in Academia, thus inspiring them to search for fresh topics for proper exploration.

Demerits of the Internet in Education

• The internet has limited mental agility, as students get online whenever they need information, leading to laziness and  low creativity.
• With the internet there is limited originality, as many people just rely on online sources for their assignments and other write-ups, students and teachers alike.
• The internet has led to so much intellectual dishonesty as many students and teachers just log into internet sites and copy information without acknowledging the source. In such a situation, plagiarism becomes the order of the day.
• Equally, using the internet requires a lot of resources such as electricity to charge the gadgets, network, and credit to connect, which not everybody can afford. This creates a knowledge gap between students in areas where these things are available and affordable and areas where they are not, urban and rural areas respectively.
• Information on the internet is sometimes not fully secure since some fraudsters and hackers might hack into one’s account and steal information for dishonest purposes.

Conclusion

It has been seen that the internet, though with its many benefits, also has some demerits. This, therefore, calls for responsibility in its usage, since it is a facility that can be well utilised, as well as, abused.