Over the last couple of months I have noticed a few articles starting to appear in the national press which suggest that the Internet is destroying the very fabric of our society.
The argument of some ‘professional’ journalists seems to be that the Internet is responsible for all things bad in society today. They point towards a dumbing down of our culture and suggest that “the Internet is responsible for a fall in academic standards, the collapse of the music and movie industries and has turned a whole generation into gambling and pornography addicts”.
Perhaps it’s just me, but I find these views rather extreme and not very objective. Whilst I accept that the Internet has it’s negative points, I would say that on balance it has enriched our society and liberated our culture.
I wonder if perhaps these national newspaper journalists feel threatened by the very presence of the Internet? Perhaps this would be an explanation for why they feel compelled to attack it in such a vicious way.
Personally I prefer to focus on all the good that has come about as a result of the Internet. I marvel at this wonderful communication tool and wonder how I ever managed without it.
Of course it is true to say that the rise of the Internet has resulted in some negative outcomes, but surely the same could be said for Radio, TV and all other forms of mainstream media that have passed before it. After all, the Internet (and other forms of media) are surely only a reflection of human culture?