The Rabbit Hole

[Voice of Reason]

We have all experienced it and I'm not sure if there's anything we can do about it. You mention a subject or search a topic online and suddenly ads and links start appearing related to what you were searching. 

Maybe this is good if you're looking for a lawn mower or a pair of shoes.  But we know it goes much further than that on almost any topic and it far too often takes people down the rabbit hole of a "belief".  Soon they are reading nothing but slanted information and that belief gets hardened. It is this internet feature that has led me to often ask, are people smarter or dumber because of the internet?

 I am not sure where to go with this discussion. Just offerring an observation and a comment.  Perhaps the question to consider is just what I wondered above. Are people smarter or dumber because of the internet?  Or, perhaps, does the internet make our society better or worse?

[theguru]

It is a rare bird when I click on any type of advertisement, that is how I deal with it.

[Voice of Reason]

4 minutes ago, theguru said:

It is a rare bird when I click on any type of advertisement, that is how I deal with it.

I agree. But we know how the internet works. I searched a topic the other day. Did not click on any ad sites. Now I am getting ads that are very specific to exactly what I searched. 

[theguru]

4 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

I agree. But we know how the internet works. I searched a topic the other day. Did not click on any ad sites. Now I am getting ads that are very specific to exactly what I searched. 

Agree.  And when we say something out loud and honestly sometimes all I have to do is think about it meaning the powers that be know me better than me sometimes. 

[bugatti]

I know this has come up on BGP, but if you haven't watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix, do it.

[theguru]

16 minutes ago, bugatti said:

I know this has come up on BGP, but if you haven't watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix, do it.

Agree a million percent! 

[CincySportsFan]

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

We have all experienced it and I'm not sure if there's anything we can do about it. You mention a subject or search a topic online and suddenly ads and links start appearing related to what you were searching. 

Maybe this is good if you're looking for a lawn mower or a pair of shoes.  But we know it goes much further than that on almost any topic and it far too often takes people down the rabbit hole of a "belief".  Soon they are reading nothing but slanted information and that belief gets hardened. It is this internet feature that has led me to often ask, are people smarter or dumber because of the internet?

 I am not sure where to go with this discussion. Just offerring an observation and a comment.  Perhaps the question to consider is just what I wondered above. Are people smarter or dumber because of the internet?  Or, perhaps, does the internet make our society better or worse?

Interesting question VoR.  The internet, with its near-immediate access to a vast amount of knowledge SHOULD make our society smarter, and therefore better.  But....

Unfortunately the internet is filled with a lot of half-truths and some downright lies.  And sadly the "if it's on the internet, it must be true" has become more than just a meme.  So, part of the population is gullible and readily accepts what they "find", while another part of the population is looking "to be right" and readily accepts what they find as a confirmation of their original thinking.  So, in those two aspects, the internet has made our society worse, in my opinion.

[Voice of Reason]

4 hours ago, bugatti said:

I know this has come up on BGP, but if you haven't watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix, do it.

 

4 hours ago, theguru said:

Agree a million percent! 

Agree, make it 2 million percent! In fact, when talking social networks we should probably say 2 trillion percent.

[bugatti]

Aside from what has already been said, I believe the internet has blurred the lines between what is real vs. reality. People believe social media is real life and a society of zombies is being created. I worry in the future your average person will be unable to have a conversation with another human without the assistance of a phone.

There is also more awareness and access to information, so that is a good thing; actually, it is a GREAT thing... generally. What I don't like though is that it can drive false narratives or give people a misguided perception of their standing in the world as they chase "likes" and "retweets." Relevant to conversations on this site, we see this in sports journalism where the main goal is to rile up a fan base. The thoughts aren't profound, no journalism takes place, it is simply a 100 character statement meant to get attention and boost their ego. I have no doubt these individuals are continually refreshing their feed to see the result. Outside of the blue check mark folks, you now see this a lot with activism. I genuinely believe people think they are making a change or standing up for a cause simple because they throw out a hashtag or change their profile pic to a flag for a week. Being "twoke" is a real thing. When 140 characters make you believe you are MLK Jr. (or insert other cause). 

 

[TheDeuce]

20 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Are people smarter or dumber because of the internet?  Or, perhaps, does the internet make our society better or worse?

There is a lot of good on the internet/social media, but I've started wondering how much the bad outweighs the good, and if it's worth it anymore...

People (as a whole) are not responsible enough to do their own research and vet the things they read on the internet. If they read something and it's what they want to believe or already believe, that's the end of the road for most. With there being no repercussions for posting false or incomplete information online, the internet is one big cesspool. 

In general, I think the internet has definitely made some people more ignorant than they were before by deepening that rabbit hole you spoke of. 

[bugatti]

4 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

There is a lot of good on the internet/social media, but I've started wondering how much the bad outweighs the good, and if it's worth it anymore...

People (as a whole) are not responsible enough to do their own research and vet the things they read on the internet. If they read something and it's what they want to believe or already believe, that's the end of the road for most. With there being no repercussions for posting false or incomplete information online, the internet is one big cesspool. 

In general, I think the internet has definitely made some people more ignorant than they were before by deepening that rabbit hole you spoke of. 

Well said.

[Bluegrasscard]

Rabbit holes can sometimes lead to two outcomes. 

One is that the mainstream narrative is false but there is not a solid replacement narrative.  So one is left with a vacuum.  And as the saying goes - nature (and people) abhor vacuums. 

The other outcome is that the new narrative or outcome is so over the top or that it violates ones moral and ethical standards to such an extent that the new narrative can not really be accepted as possible.