Introduction

Throughout history, human beings have made great discoveries and the invention of computer is no doubt one of the most extraordinary contrivances that make contribution to the scientific, social and economic progress of humankind. The first computer was invented around the middle of the twentieth century. Unlike the computers that people now find on the market, the first computer had an enormous size and it was large enough to occupy the space of an entire room. The primary purpose of the invented device was to perform all-electronic calculation using vacuum tubes in order to facilitate human tasks. It was on January 1975 that the first personal minicomputer made its appearance in the form of a kit called MITS Altair 8800 and since then, many researchers, including Bill Gates, have worked hard to introduce new features to the computer. The development of Internet started around 1950 and was completed on 1983 (Bauer). The creation of both computer and Internet were revolutionary, as they change fundamentally the way people record and retrieve information, as well as the way people communicate with one another. While allowing multiple computer users to connect with one another to better share information, Internet also supports the development of the computer-supported social network, which gives people access to various utilities, such as email, browser games, virtual communities, etc. Although computer and Internet facilitated human interactions, most of the communication lacks social presence and real human contact. This raises the question: Does the use of computer make people more connected to the world and people around them or does it make people more isolated from their community and the society?