Internet - a blessing or a curse?

Nowadays, we can hardly imagine our lives without the Internet. Due to that fact, it's worth considering if this invention is good or bad for society.
There are many merits to using the Internet. Firstly, it is a large source of various information that we can gain even in several seconds. The other reason is that we have a constant access to people from the whole world and we can talk with them for free. In addition, this technological achievement provides us a lot of material for studying. Moreover, we can virtually discover the world even when we can't afford it in reality. Finally, the Internet can be used just for entertainment, as we can download music, films and share it with our friends. We can also play games and read interesting artciles etc.
On the other hand, the Internet has also its drawbacks. One complaint is that we don't really know we who can meet e.g. on chats so we can be exposed of some perverts. Besides, using the Internet is time-consuming and addictive. There are many people addicted to it and they waste their time on chats and different web portals. Finally, websites are full of violence that is available for everyone because the youths can with no problem declare they are adult.
Despite the minor cons, my opinion is that the Internet is a blessing for people. After all, the violence can be restricted by parental control and nobody forces us to meet the strangers.