I know I might catch some hell for this, I think it's a truth which people realize, yet are too afraid to point out.
The internet is ruining everything.
While I acknowledge the huge advantages the internet has given us, from easy communications, easy ways to keep in touch with old friends (communications again, I suppose) new, simpler teaching and learning capabilities, the chance to discuss and learn with others from various cultures and backgrounds, and of course, a vast abundance of pornography never before available, I feel that there are many reasons that the internet has devloped into a very BAD thing (I am sure I missed a few things)
But I feel, honestly, that despite all of these advantages, the disadvantages are close to outweighing them.
First point- children.
With the availability of online play, through consoles or computers, children, adolescents, and adults, are now even FURTHER addicted to video games. I mean, don't get me wrong. I know this is a video game chat board and we all like video games. But frankly, the addictions and dependencies that develope are rediculous (I can quit if I want to, but I don't. etc). Rather than going outside and riding bikes, kids are playing video games. Rather than meeting up with other kids to play, they're meeting up with foul-mouthed adolescents and playing xbox live. Rather than reading a book or spending quality family time (which I realize, if they were allowed online all the time they probably wouldn't get any family time anyways) they are online chatting or watching videos on youtube. Additionally, on these online games and message boards, these kids are exposed to the most foul-mouthed chuds that have walked the earth, using their anonymity to preach any type of violent and/or hateful amount of vulgarity-peppered verbal or written sewage imaginable.
second point- youtube
Youtube gets its own category. I've expressed my disdain for youtube in the past, always to mixed reactions from my friends. Sure, there are some REALLY FUNNY people on youtube, and they're great to watch. Sure, the instructional videos are helpful and it's nice to be able to listen to any and all songs or watch some music videos. . . but the cons outweigh the pros.
The thing that I dislike about youtube, is that it is so infested with complete dip****s. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=i7QVbJnSPQE, http://youtube.com/watch?v=6Wpiac_K16A, http://youtube.com/watch?v=lUgtqdiiJ88, http://youtube.com/watch?v=tt117bqKtLU, and the list goes on and on, of course) The problem is that (I think we can all agree) the internet is INFESTED with dip****s. Seriously. You read the comments of any video on youtube, after overlooking the fact that 80% of the videos on youtube are morons who think their opinion matters (yes I acknowledge the irony here). I mean. .. these people go on and on, apparently having nothing better to do, than give their worthless opinion! Youtube is like. . . communistic, in that it gives power to the complete buffoon! No education? No prestige? No basis for the crap you're saying? NO PROBLEM! And of course, the idiots that inhabit the internet flock to these dip****s and up their view count, which lands them on TV so NORMAL people like me (and I'm assuming a few of you ;) ) get to see them and wonder "WHY IS THIS NEWS?"
Youtube further proved this point by making a mockery of an already comical concept... the political debate. I literally found myself watching the democratic debate and rolling my eyes saying "Oh my *** these people are f-ing idiots," and I wasn't even talking about the candidates! People dressed in goofy costumes with dumb gimmicks, brandishing assault rifles (in one instance) and redneck accents and acting out like idiots. It was hard to take it seriously! You'd see some goofy nerd go on about health care, and then it comes back to the white haired guy from cnn with the serious face adn the candidates! It's like (goofy stupid moment-oh **** serious time now!). Thank you, youtube, for making a further mockery of politics.
I understand that the average American isn't an intellectual. I understand that the average American isn't articulate and polite. I understand that the average American is gruff, xenophobic, kinda dumb, ignorant, etc. THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS RIGHT. The internet encourages such things. The internet is a place for these morons to feel at home. And while the internet has VAST advantages, I feel that it should have a literacy test in order to sign on.
I won't even cover the use of the internet by terrorist sects, dangerous radicals, hate speech, etc. That goes without saying and I GUESS is constitutionally protected or something.
sorry that this isn't well written. I just wanted to spill it out on paper before I go work and serve the aforementioned morons beer and cigs and stuff to smoke pot out of.
edit; I also blame the internet for the success of Anna Nicole Smith on news medias, as well as Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, Michael Vick, Britney Spears, etc etc, because they're all "popular topics". You know WHY? Because people with a solid BRAIN and PRIDE are out working during the day while the lardasses and welfare scum browse the internet to see what paris is up to
another point: The Television and/or radio arguably accomplished the same things, negatively and positively, as the internet. I realize this. the difference? The television and radio were controlled by someone somewhere at all times, depending on the channel. There was a bright mind SOMEWHERE along the chain (except for MTV and its children, BET, and Lifetime). The major other difference is that with television, it's difficult for the braindead masses staring into the screen to communicate BACK.
I agree with all of this.
And I'm in full support of what it's doing to society, because it means that the people with standards worth a damn are more distinguished than ever before.
Unfortunately, things won't be getting any easier for people who aren't ****ing morons, considering that nepotism will keep most of the dumbasses you're ranting against installed in high places until their descendants shoot their own balls off in a few generations' time.
Sigh.
believe it or not, I'm worried about the children. CHildren are very impressionable, and few of us can brag that we were geniuses at young ages. We were rambunctious little kids who hated school (probably) and liked video games and riding bikes. But the internet is exposing these kids, who have the POTENTIAL to contribute, to the low-brow knuckledraggers of society, which are, in turn, corrupting them and derailing their chances of growing up intelligent. I know this is reaching, but I think we can all agree it's more likely than not affecting a great many kids. Blame the parents? Sure. But does that make it any less ****ing me off? No.
I've thought about this, and I agree with a lot of it. Though, the one thing that I disagree with a little is the children factor. I definitely understand where you are coming from, as I am a product of the complete and total unlimited access the internet gives to someone at a very young age. I was exposed to sex and cybering when I was nine, and participated in it, though I had no clue what I was doing. I just was the curious little kid who wanted to know about sex and where babies came from. However, I know exactly what you mean.
I've thought about the impact of the internet and its cousin, television, on my future children. I don't know what the internet will look like when I am a parent, however, if it is the same as it is today, I have to say this: I won't be installing parental controls.
I believe it'd be my responsibility as a parent to educate my children on what is right, wrong, healthy, unhealthy, and set those limitations for them in their minds. You're right, children are very impressionable, but the one who has the most sway over them are their parents. If my child finds something that I am not comfortable with, I wouldn't hide it from them--I'd explain it, and then tell them why it's unacceptable, bad, whatever. It's what my parents did and though I'm sarcastic and *****y, I believe myself to have a very solid moral compass. I'm not a moron, I love to learn, I don't drink, do drugs, and I don't plan to ever. I want to have a great education in college and get a good job.
I think the main thing is learning how to parent children with the internet, not necessarily the internet itself. I explored a vast amount of idiotic sites when I was in my pre-teens and early teens, but not only was I able to make a decision on how I felt about such things due to the upbringing my parents had and were instilling in me, if I did agree with one or two dumb ideas, the people I would meet later on in my life that I would look up to would broaden my horizons and cause me to change my mentality.
But try not to be so completely pessimistic about it. Yes, there are idiots and scary things out there, and ways for the idiots to get into the scary things, but there a whole lot of good people out there too with great ideas and interesting things to say. It balances out, in my opinion.
While I really to agree that these things are happening Bj, I think that it's basically a cultural phenomina more so than the internet itself. Tools are never innately evil, just the people that decide to use them for their own devices. I think that, definately, the kids are the most vulnerable and a new system should be developed to protect them. It's just that for every intellectual trying to do good, there's someone trying to figure out how to counteract that positive. Until there's a fail safe procedure, its really up to the parents in my mind.
Let's also keep in mind that not every child all over the world is a webslave. Think about China for a moment here! Internet access restriction means that they'll never become maladjusted from media influence, and they'll grow up to be diligent labourers for the good of the people's republic instead.
On a more serious note, Germany has it right in some areas. I think its video game censorship laws are a bit draconian (why censor **** already destined for adult enjoyment?), but at least someone up there realises the parents aren't handling things as well as they could be. Sure, blame it on the parents that their moron crotchdroppings are influenced by violent media, but not every child
a) has a nice, firm, ethical upbringing
b) has a priori awareness of good and evil
c) is immune to moral media influence.
I'm frightened about what the world will be like in forty years.
The internet is a tool; no more, no less. How others use that tool is completely up to them. If, for example, you set your parental control levels to 8, you can only allow your children to go to family fun zones and Christian websites. It all boils down to what it's used for.
As an example, take 4chan. Quite possibly one of the worst places on the internet, granted, but that depends on your views on things. 4chan is merely a receptacle for anything that is posted on it, and this specifically applies to the sections they're in. If a picture is not allowed in a particular section, then it's immediately (or close to) deleted (the obvious exception being /b/, but even that doesn't allow child porn). Compare this blank slate filled with all different types of people to sites like Faces of Death and Ogrish (don't know if that's still around), which glorify violence, acts of depravity, and human suffering, and it may not be quite as bad. Then again, it depends on your definition of "bad."
I think you should moreso be ashamed of the state of the society. It simply shows what humans would be like if this technology were available. With all changes to social norms, our take on the internet is simply a reflection of what we find acceptable. If, for example, the Old World, say, medieval times, had it, what they used it for might be drastically different (knights on the internet googling sword techniques lolz).
So I'm not entirely sure I agree. The internet is used for terrible things, granted, but it in itself is not inherently bad. I place the blame on the people who use it, not on the technology that lets them do what they do.
[quote]The internet is a tool
No man you're a tool.
what about myspace, has that made people slaves
I know Facebook has. Everyone keeps telling me to get one because they spend hours on it.
I sorta agree with you BJ. I must say, however, that Youtube is probably one of the most American things I've ever seen. Anyone can post pretty much anything. Every idiot can voice their stupid opinions. Isn't that democracy?
The Internet seems to have allowed people an outlet for stupidity that simply didn't exist in a capacity similar to what it is now even 5 years ago. However, I've been using the internet since I was 9 or 10, I was exposed to lots of stupid things prior to Youtube, and also some things inappropriate for children of my age, but I think I turned out OK. I'd say the Internet is a medium by people who are prone to stupid behavior in general, and that anonymity can cause people to act poorly online. However, real idiots are going to be stupid regardless of what they do online. The people in the "Blasphemy Challenge" thing probably either thought along those lines themselves prior to the challenge's existence, or are just the kind of idiots who will do anything for attention/free stuff. I don't think the Internet or Youtube corrupted them, necessarily. I do agree, however, that Youtube is dangerous to the important realm of politics. I don't want stupid Youtube bull**** wasting important debate time.
I was addicted to videogames as a kid, but I still played outside and had a lot of crazy adventures. I spend a sh[COLOR=lightgreen]i[/COLOR]tload of time on the internet right now but I'm going to spend a lot more time out with friends when I join them at university. I got pretty addicted to WoW for a while, but I was never at the point where I stopped bathing or cooking for myself.
The internet isn't the problem, people's total lack of discipline is. Either in the case of parents not looking after their kids or people letting themselves develop genuine addictions.
But really, this is only a major issue with nerds. Most kids and people my age don't use the internet all that often. And let's face it, nerds tend to have a whole host of mental issues anyway.
Sorry for the bland answer but that's geniunely my take on the situation.
America.
Stupidity's always existed, it's just that the internet exposes us to way more people now than ever before.
Could we say this boils down to "stupid" opinions being too easilly broadcastable on a large scale? If so, then it must be how people base their opinions that's the bigger problem. Your definitly not alone in that issue though BJ, the internet has quite a lot of diveristy in opinion, some good, some bad.
Somone famous: Mark Twain said newspapers and magazines were evil because they were too influential, making americans think less instead of more of what they personally thought of an issue.
I believe it's this notion that everyone's opinion has equal value, probably rooted from the words "All men are created equal" as a possible cause.
Tocqueville saw this as a problem when America was in its early stages, (Wiki if you don't know him) saying Americans cared more about their own opinions than what they heard from others, but refused to openly express them. What stoped most Americans was the mockery that happened when you expressed your unique opinions in a public forum. If you spoke out against the majority, your opinion instantly became less important/ influential, so hardly anyone would do it back in the 1700's.
The internet as a medium is very passive and widespread. You can say whatever you want and not have to read the responses. Also, other people's opinions are now text, and have no face, making it much easier to go a drift in your own world than listen to what that one son-of-a tried to tell you. Basically you can say whatever you want with little to no consequences.
That's my opinion however, mainly focused specifically on Americans.
Porn and all that other stuff is a whole other matter that I'm not touching, since that stuff is crazy.
Children will do what they shouldn't and will desire the forbidden - unless you watch your kids for every second of the day, they are going to be influenced by the Internet, YouTube, the media and other resources you've deemed as "stupid" and "inappropriate." Not every parent has their ideals a priorities in the correct categories either - children can be messed up and misguided without the aforementioned mediums. I daresay there are children worse-of that haven't been exposed to stupidity and the Internet in general; if anything, as most have said, it builds something that does teach right and wrong in itself.
Impressionable, yes but you can't let nothing happen to them, or else nothing will ever happen to them - good or bad. As cheesy as the line is, you do have to take the good with the bad, the right with the wrong; that is the entire reason why those things even exist in the first place.
There are worse things ruining the word - these are just a drop in an ocean.
but what about those of us who don't want to throw our hands up and say "I give up" when it comes to changing the world? Can't we try to do something to take peices of this myriad of ignorance that is spreading across our world by trying to correct it, one peice at a time, as vague as it may seem to be?
I agree with the main point, but that's it.
Videogames: I don't think this is a large problem by itself. Sure, video games are a bad thing to spend your time on, but so are countless other unproductive things. Aside from a few SuperNanny bastard children who threaten their parents when told to do a minor chore rather than play Halo all day, it's really not that huge of a problem. There's some social rejects who spend all their time on it, but I don't think they matter enough to be "ruining the world."
Youtube: Not so much Youtube and the countless idiots inhabiting it, but just online communities such as Youtube, Myspace, Xanga, and much others that get glorified for no reason. You can't expect everyone to have good standards on what to post, but you can only hope that the important people (the media) aren't going to compliment the site and its members and give them any sort of acknowledgement. It's just unfortunate that they did.
Finally, the success of crappy stars: That's not at all through the internet. They all got famous throw other sources. None of them can thank the internet for their claim to fame. It only helped spread it, just like television, music, and magazines.
Anna Nicole Smith: Playboy model, usurped a fortune, and had her own reality TV show. Internet does not factor in.
Linday Lohan: Disney Film star, artist (lol), and all around coke-whore.
Britney Spears: Mouseketeer, singer, and train-wreck.
Paris Hilton: Heiress, singer, party girl, porn star, and superwhore.
Michael Vick: Who?
They all would've gotten along the same without internet publicity because they had it from every other source as well.
The swarms of morons are only really accountable on the internet. I agree that the internet is, pretty much, ruining the world, but for entirely different reasons than you provided.
[quote]but what about those of us who don't want to throw our hands up and say "I give up" when it comes to changing the world? Can't we try to do something to take peices of this myriad of ignorance that is spreading across our world by trying to correct it, one peice at a time, as vague as it may seem to be?
Change it to what; the way that you believe the world should be? Regardless of what you want to change the world to, it does not mean that the change is for the better or the right decision. As always, there will be those who do not agree and try to change the world to how they want it to be also. It happens every day and without having the world become unified under one single "governing" body, you will never achieve what you want any time soon.
In an ideal world, it would be nice to do the parenting of everyone else's children but at the end of the day, the best you can do is ensure you are doing the right thing yourself, and parenting your own children. A lot of the time, everyone focuses so much on other people and other children, they forget to focus on themselves and their own children. Change one bad thing, and another will come to replace it - it's nature and the way society functions.
The stupidity proliferated on the Internet is really just a symptom, not the actual illness. Trying to rectify issues with it is sort of like taking asprin for a brain tumor. Sure, you won't have the headache, but you'll still have the cancer eating away at the tissue.
I think the real problem lies with education, and how many tend to value it. That is to say, not much or at all.
http://www.citizensunitednegatingtechnology.com
[quote=WILLETH FOR MONTHS;752200][URL]http://www.citizensunitednegatingtechnology.com[/URL]
I'd rep you but you're right so often it's getting boring.
How is the internet ruining the world again?
Internet advantages outweigh disadvantages significently IMO
The internet is nothing but a reflection of the society that uses it. Perhaps if more parents were interested in actually raising their kids rahter than sitting in front of the idiot box (formerly the TV, now the computer/video game console) then we wouldnt have a nation of idiotic lardasses who think that teabagging someone is the end all be all of intellectual debate. alas, most parents are themselves victims of horrid parents, so the cycle continues. I know that were I to have kids, I would make sure that they underswtood that there must be a balance between physical and sedentary entertainment, and that both can be enjoyed inthe proper ratios. But hey, I'm responsible, so I guess thats just me.