Internet, Good or Bad (especially for young minds)?

 This discussion was promoted by a couple of discussions I had recently as well as a thought provoking episode of New Amsterdam.

In one discussion, someone claimed lack of education for lack of knowledge and was trying to increase her knowledge by learning from the Internet.

Trouble was, she promoted concepts such as Democrats are promoting the climate crisis for political reasons and that there are scientists out there that do not believe in made-man climate change.

SO the question is, what was she researching on the internet? Rightwing sites? Anti-science sites? Certainly not real science based sites.

Which prompts the question, is the internet a danger to our collective intelligence or is it just how people use the internet?

Example of this is one of my favorite memes during the height of Covid:

A second conversation I had was about how the Internet is corrupting young minds because young minds are using the Internet for socializing, playing games, and looking up stuff about their favorite celebrities. I argued that the Internet can also be a source of information for young people and we don't give them enough credit. Before the Internet we knew less about homosexuality, less about the climate, less about all kinds of health issues, about world events, less general knowledge. To knock young people for using the Internet inappropriately might sound right but is it right?

Thanks to the Internet we can't tell our young people what to believe anymore because they can look up what is real and what isn't. 

Nevertheless, the debate rages:

The answer is more nuanced than yes or no. Studies have shown that increased Internet usage leads to decreased attention span, inability to focus and poor communication skills.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/2018/02/26/how-much-time-mobile-phones-and-online-bad-your-mental-health/371653002/

YET, you and I, and yes, I mean YOU out there, use the Internet every day to form YOUR opinions. You read news online. You research topics online. You gather opinion and analysis online. YOU visit Snowflake's Forum online.

SO, another way to look at Internet usage:

The internet is perhaps one of the best inventions thus far. As anyone can access the computer this made people by stripping away geographical barriers and sharing information instantaneously.

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-internet/

But for me the best illustration of the usefulness of the Internet was from a fictional show, an episode of the TV series New Amsterdam.

A psychologist wanted to take a group of kids on a hike but each had their face buried into their cell phones, for playing online games or texting or checking their social media accounts.  So the psychologist confiscated the phones and left them behind in his car. Then they got lost. The kids were quick to remind the psychologist that they sure could have used the GPS or Maps from their cell phones or even to call for help.

Later sitting around a campfire, the psychologist realized his mistake. Not trusting the kids enough to know how to use their cellphones appropriately. Making ASSUMPTIONS that kids using their cellphones must be doing so ONLY for brain numbing purposes. Therefore we ASSUME that denying them access to their cellphones is going to make them better or smarter persons. 

MY BELIEF is that very young kids should have limited time on the Internet. However, I also believe the Internet poses greater BENEFIT than DANGER. The worry out there that Elon Musk is now going to turn Twitter into a Rightwing echo chamber is only worrisome if you believe that those who from the Right who use Twitter have no other outlet for their rage other than Twitter.

The Internet is FULL OF sources for Rightwing nuttery. And Rightwing nuttery existed before the internet, when Rightwing politicians, Pastors, and Biased Newspapers did just as wonderful a job at riling up their base.

SO THINK ABOUT THIS: The Internet is actually a benefit this way because now we can check for ourselves whether what some politician or pastor or agitator says makes any sense? WE have more access to factchecking thanks to the Internet.

FOR ME, it is not that the Internet is good or bad, it is the user. As with alcohol, tobacco, gambling, you name it, even unhealthy foods, something CAN BE bad if misused or abused. I happen to think we benefit far more from having Internet and spreading the use of the Internet than we are harmed by it.

BUT what do YOU think? What is YOUR take?