互联网已经改变了人类社会，在中国，这种改变尤其是全面和深刻的。

首先，伴随着互联网而来的信息传播和接受方式的改变，公众知情权这个曾经对大多数中国人来说还很陌生的概念被越来越多的人所接受和追求，这无疑使中国向民主的公民社会迈进了一步。互联网使公民参与社会的热情和渠道大大提高。特别是博客这一近年兴起的网络新生事物成长迅速，今年中国的博客数量将接近1个亿。通过门户网站、社区BBS以及井喷式发展的无数个人博客，任何引起公众关注的信息已经很难不被迅速普及。“草根舆论”的丰茂，影响了中国的舆论平台，也在很大程度上改变和推动了政府处理各种公共、突发事件的方式。

尽管很难用准确的数字说明中国经济的腾飞有多少互联网的贡献，但新经济的模式正在改变中国传统的经济和消费模式。从陌生到熟悉，许多中国人开始习惯并依赖通过互联网来解决生活中的需求，电子交易、网络购物等越来越成为时尚，就连处于互联网相对落后中国农村地区的一些农民也学会了用互联网做蔬菜、水果的生意，B2B、 B2C作为一个方兴未艾的事业而蒸蒸日上。

The Internet has and is still transforming society, in different ways and at different levels across the world. In China, the change brought by the Internet is comprehensive and profound.

Above all, the Internet has changed the way information is disseminated and received. The right to know the truth, something that used to be unfamiliar to the Chinese people, has become increasingly popular, helping to foster a more democratic society.

The Internet has also boosted Chinese people's enthusiasm for public participation. New things have mushroomed on the Internet, blogging being one of the fastest growing. There are now around 100 million blogs in China. Information can be easily researched and spread on the Internet via written posts or video broadcasts. In the process, the mainstream media have been to some extent left behind. Moreover, the government's way of dealing with public emergencies has changed dramatically due to the stronger grassroots public voices.

Though it's difficult to use accurate figures and numbers to illustrate how the Internet has contributed to China's economic development, the new economy is transforming China's traditional production and consumption modes. Chinese people have gradually accepted and become more reliant on the Internet to solve their needs. Online shopping and dating are catching on. Even in rural areas where Internet access is not so popular or easy, some farmers have begun to sell their vegetables and fruits online. E-commerce including B2B, B2C is of growing importance to Chinese enterprises.