The internet has made contact and information available as never before; it has, IMO, benefitted society beyond measure. But like anything else man touches, it is subject to misuse and abuse by fools and miscreants.
Power and responsibility come in equal measure.
This post was edited by Don Barzini at September 5, 2018 10:07 AM MDT
Wait! You still gave a good answer Rizz! You are very well spoken and written as well. He might have beat you to it but it doesn't mean you aren't as out spoken as he. You are great Rizz. Please Don't tell yourself differently. Big Smiles and Hugs! :) :)
In the developed parts of the world, humanity has benefited via the spread of easily accessible knowledge, more flexible work-places for online businesses, and greater social connectedness across wider distances.
However, psychiatrists and psychologists have found an enormous drop in face-to-face conversation skills. Monologuing has become a serious and common fault in the way people talk. This has been attributed to the amount of time people spend on the net.
It's worth remembering that some vast and highly populated parts of the world, like rural Africa and South America, still don't have electricity, much less internet. We are one world. Much of how we live in the west affects the lives of others elsewhere.
Media studies of internet usage have found that people collect their news from sources that reinforce their world-view, politics and religious orientation. Surveys have found that this has increased the percentage of people who are strongly polarised and intolerant of different points of view, and has decreased deeper debates and discussions on polemic issues. Issues get reduced to tweets, with cherry-picked facts, logical fallacies common in arguments, and on average the public unable to discern the flaws. This has to be not just due to the internet, but also a fall in the standard of public education.
Also, very well-said and accurate. It is amazing how much people aren't aware of the power of the internet. I believe sitting behind a screen all day is not what we are about. We DO need personal inter-action and the great outdoors that we are surrounded by. Thanks for the in-depth and well-written response Nom de Plume. I enjoyed reading and learning from your thoughts and research. :) :)
Don Barzini 