Has instant Internet access made us lazier, and more dumbed down, or wiser and better off?

I think Facebook and other social media sites are putting a hole in everyone's brain. Too much information..

I'll get back to you. Let me just Google the answer. I can't think for myself anymore.

I think there are many great aspects to the internet and access to the information we now have. The availability of useful information is truly staggering. Answers to questions that would be hard to ascertain without research of having someone with personal knowledge close to you comes in seconds. I can't tell you how many times i've had a problem with something around the house and getting solutions via the internet is fairly simple. that aspect is fantastic. I recently bought a new vehicle and it was 1000x easier and less annoying than every other time i've gone to purchase a vehicle because of all the information available. As a general information source overall it's quite amazing.

Social Media brings out the worse aspects of human nature. It fuels people's insecurities (how many friends do i have, how many likes did it get, etc.) I am surprised at how many adults i know post even the inane things going on in their life. It shocks and dismays me that even as adults so many people still strive for the approval of others. It's like middle school all over again. It also gives people no buffer when it comes to their opinions and things like Twitter gives fuel to opinions and outrage over said opinions. Where in the past someone might comment in the privacy of their own home on things they are now commenting publicly for so many to see. too many reactions are posted without thought of consequences and who might see it.

overall I'd say it's mostly positive. yea there are bad things about it but i think most of the bad things about all this access is more based on human nature and how we treat it.

all of the above?

On one hand, I havent had to remember a phone number in 15 years. Everything is right there. Things can get lazy. My pocket vibrates if I have an appointment or its time to pay a bill, or anything else. Navigation has taken away the "gameplanning" of travel


But... you can teach yourself to do many many things at the tip of your finger. Fixing something in a car, to technology, to playing a guitar, to finishing a basement...


There are a lot of news sources and other things in the dark alleys of the internet that take advantage and misinform too many people. Whether its Right stuff, left stuff, anti police stuff, or even things that create "ISIS sympathizers".

I've seen people become disconnected (ie, in some kind of fucked up bubble of reality) to the point they're oblivious to the fact that there's life around them. Worst is when they're pulling this shit while driving.

But, the connectivity in other aspects have been invaluable to me. To be in touch with those I love, who give me strength, to whom I can give strength; it's precious. Not talking about Facebook, not into that or Twitter and the like, but just sending or receiving a message, a photo.

Hell, I was able to virtually attend my cousin's funeral recently.

I take the internet, as with any people whose paths I cross, with grains of salt, caution, and some openness. Guard up, and guard down based on instinct. Information-wise...doubt I'll ever feel anything is 100% accurate. Too many biases and agendas out there.

Degeneratefk said:

No, I don't think it's made us lazier. In 25vyears ago, if you didn't know something, you had to go to the library. Who the hell was doing that? The Internet is a brilliant resource to use to gain knowledge. As long as you're using the right sources.

The textbooks we used as kids growing up are incredibly biased and we're not always accurate. For example, when learning about the white man colonizing America, the only bad thing we did was give small pox infected blankets to the natives. We didn't learn that we stole the land from the people that already lived here.

YES!

The internet can give us information but it doesn't make us wiser. We still need to develop that by learning from life experiences and not everybody will. Hell, not everybody will even take the time to determine if the information they are taking in is accurate or not.