An increasing number of people are buying what they need online. What are the advantages and disadvantages for both individuals and companies to shoping online.

In the era of digitisation, it is quite easy for individuals to purchase items on the Internet. For that reason, it is been constantly observed that the number of online buyers has been increasing in recent years.

However

, many believe that it has its own merits and demerits.

Therefore

, I will explain how the pros and cons of

this

trend would impact society and organisations, in the forthcoming paragraphs. One advantage for people is that they have a wide range of options and discounts whilst buying on the Internet.

In other words

, E-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart not only provide varieties in terms of size, colour, and brands but

also

allow customers to buy with a hefty discount. Amazon,

for instance

, runs a yearly campaign named The Great Indian Sale which attracts the populace to shop belonging with very reasonable prices. On the other end, Internet shopping helps small and micro businesses to make more profit

while

selling goods online.

Hence

, it would be a win-win for both individuals and organisations. On the flip side, it has various disadvantages as well.

Firstly

, there is always a potential risk of data leakage

due to

a lack of security measures or lack of awareness. When people sign up on these platforms they register their personal details like name, contact number, and address which could be misused by cyber criminals to target them. Recently, a senior citizen from Mumbai India,

for example

, lost ten lacks rupees because of a suspicious link which he clicked as he had limited knowledge of these threats.

Secondly

, as these criminal activities increase, the vendors who sell products online lose their credibility.

Thus

, it would lead to insecurity among businesses and their customers. To summarize, many people believe that online shopping should be avoided because of the aforementioned reasons

whereas

others would like to continue by educating themselves on these potential hazards. The government should enforce security standards that would encourage online buyers but at the same time, the citizens should not share their One Time Passwords or click on any unofficial links received on their mobile phones.