Sorry to disagree with everybody else, but the internet is just a tool. Neither good nor bad.
The internet has improved my life. I stay in touch with friends and family. Pay bills online. Learn from curezone and other great sites. Look up recipes. Listen to far away radio stations or radio shows that normally only play at night (rense.com). Helps me look up work projects from home. Get my digital photos printed. Download audiobooks.
There are 1000s of great reasons to be on the net. It is how you use it that makes it good or bad.