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I think you can't blame the students for being resourceful, i think that the whole model of assignments and essays needs to be rethought and updated so that students can use their resourcefulness in more practical things rather than searching online. A more novel innovative approach is what's required.
I think its negative effects surpassed its positive purpose on why are they even in the internet. The negatives that I saw are some students tend to just "copy and paste" the available essays/assignments from the internet and submit it unedited. Though I don't say editing it makes it your own. They might unknowingly committed plagiarism.
I think its main purpose why is it in the Internet is just to give us samples to follow or guides on how should we write proper essays or just to give us research materials.