Devil's advocate point: The internet has lead to a series of blatant lies masquerading as the truth, as the internet does not control its sources. This, combined with the tendency for students to first search the internet for information, will and has lead to violent misunderstandings being propagated as truth, far more than previous communication technologies. This, combined with relative anonymity, creates a feedback loop of half-truths among the internet culture.
Off topic: Every time I wrote the internet above, it was a struggle not to write it as THE INTAH-NET!!!
Just to back up this point a little:
The Internet has changed the very way in which we store information. In the past, reliable information was predominantly stored in the form of books, which were near-impossible to change short of recalling all copies. Now, however, information is stored in a digital medium. While this does not cause problems in and of itself, it means that the information is lost among the sea of misinformation. Information in this format can be revised at a moment's notice, such as news companies retroactively editing their articles. This means that the people who post this information up on the Internet are much more relaxed about it, as they can edit their figures to make themselves right in the end. The people who just cut-and-paste information into their reports have a much higher chance, statistically speaking, of being wrong. Even though the Internet has facilitated international research and helped to keep scientists in touch, the sheer volume of misinformation published outweighs this fact.
Now for another point: intellectual diversity
The Internet has helped connect people into this global "web of consciousness", in effect making the whole world in your backyard. This is much like a single enormous community, where ideas spread quickly. While again, this is not inherently bad, it does has some downsides. Ideas on the Internet - also known as memes - are a form of peer pressure, to fit in with the current definition of "in". And in such a large community, peer pressure is a force to be reckoned with. In effect, everyone is striving to be the same, to have the same likes and dislikes, the same interests and views, etc. (this is much more apparent on social networking sites like Facebook). What we need, however, isn't similarity - it's difference. Its people who dare to challenge the predominant ideas of their time - such as Galileo challenging the geocentric view of the universe which was held in high opinion - who make scientific progress. In part, this is because ideas which have been held for a long time tend to become like religions, whose supporters will sometimes overlook evidence to the contrary. And in a homogeneous society, will we have such people who overturn the ideas of their time?
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Topic: Discussion of the Week: "Is the Internet detrimental to humanity?" (Read 5973 times)