C5: Internet

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On the downside...

(a) Information overload

You may have notice a very high quota of jargon being used in this edition of The Jampacked Bible. This is on purpose and is meant to sometimes confuse you. The expansion of ideas and information is growing so fast on the Internet that people can't invent knew words and phrases quick enough. Very worrying though, is the fact that this tremendous rate of expansion means that most people can't keep up.

So much information on the Internet is questionable, half untrue or totally false that the level of confusion about things is huge. When we are overloaded with information and the nearly infinite possibility of getting more and more, we begin to devalue what we are reading. Words and pictures wash over us and we can't always tell what is going on. It is very hard to get a firm foot hold in cyberspace and understand and deal with everything that is happening. When 'everything is at your fingertips,' choosing what to do next can be extremely puzzling.

(b) Virtuality vs. Reality

Real human relationships are difficult. Getting on with your parents and being a good friend are not simple achievements. Relationships must be constantly worked on and they require affection, honesty and the ability to really listen. But the Internet is replacing an awful lot of human contact. Computer listings and outputs are substituting the need for simple conversations. You hardly need to talk to anyone to survive nowadays. You can contact shops, banks, colleges and work through computer link ups. Children happily sit in front of screens for hours but the art of conversation could be dying the death. This point could be exaggerated, but the instant response and obedience of keyboards is a far cry from the basic awareness needed to simply talk to another human being.

On the upside...

(a) Harnessing power

The Internet was for years mainly used by academic institutions. New ideas and thoughts were, and still are, discussed by people half way across the globe. This has unquestionably speeded up the growth of human knowledge. Theories can be read and criticised on a global level by experts in the field no matter where they are. The Internet allows us to harness the power of many people and let them work together.

(b) Special communications

For many old people who can't get out too much or physically disabled people who are house bound, the Internet is a means of keeping in contact with the world. They can browse sites, read newsgroup mailings and converse just like the rest of society.

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