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The Internet Again

Entry 2130, on 2021-05-29 at 11:08:11 (Rating 2, Computers)

Many people claim that society is being dumbed down because of the internet. They see the fatuous drivel which is common on social media sites like Facebook and TikTok. They see the vicious attacks over politics and social justice on Twitter. They assume the internet is always bad, or at least bad on balance. They think the world was better in the past, because people were less distracted and less susceptible to misinformation. I think they are wrong.

I have defended the internet on several occasion in the past, such as a post titled "The Internet is Best!" from 2017-03-17, but maybe it's time for a new post on the subject.

First, what about the observation that a lot of internet activity is trivial? Well sure, it's hard to disagree with that. But I think this is an example of Sturgeon's Law which states that "90% of everything is crap". I don't think we can interpret this literally, and I'm sure Sturgeon didn't really mean it to be, but the point is that if you look at anything you willfind a significant part of it is trivial, or pointless, or untrue.

So if a lot of what happens on the internet is frivolous then I say that the same applies to most other similar things. For example, I would claim most of what is seen on TV is garbage, the same goes for radio, and news services. So in saying that a lot of what happens and what is stored on the internet is worthless, I would say: sure, but what's the alternative?

And one attribute of the internet which does make it potentially superior is the non-linearity and the possibility of being selective. For example, when I go to YouTube I could literally spend my whole life watching videos with no real merit at all, but I could equally spend that time watching material with considerable merit.

Yesterday I was randomly browsing through YouTube and found some semi-technical videos about the design of car engines. I watched one which discussed the pros and cons of straight, V, VR, and flat designs. The subject is really subtle and quite sophisticated and I found it really interesting. I don't know whether that knowledge I gained has any real practical use, but all accurate and non-trivial information is worthwhile, I think.

I really believe I have benefitted in two ways from the internet: first, it has provided me with information about topics I have never thought of pursuing before; and second, it has given me more balance on subjects I might only see one side of otherwise.

Regarding the first point. I have stated before that my aim on life is to know more than average about everything. This sounds quite challenging, and maybe even arrogant, but I should point out that the average knowledge on any subject at all is quite insubstantial. Also, while this is an aim of mine, I agree that I am unlikely to ever achieve it; I'm not that arrogant!

As an example of the breadth of knowledge I have achieved so far today, here are 6 documents I have downloaded or created for future reference: Cantor diagonalisation, the
Planned Parenthood 2015 videos controversy, self-reference in philosophy, the T90 versus the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank, undecidable problems in computer science, and the VR6 engine.

I challenge anyone to come up with this sort of stuff without the internet! By the way, just in case you were wondering: Cantor diagonalisation is a surprisingly understandable way to prove there is more than one infinity; the video controversy is interesting and I'm not sure whether the claims have merit or not; self-reference is about models and ideas referring to themselves which often results in paradoxes; the T90 (a Russian MBT) is probably a bit better than the Abrams (American), but it depends so much on infrastructure, support, and crew training; undecidable problems are real, and a major limitation in the underlying understanding of algorithms; and the VR6 is an interesting design which achieves some benefits, especially in terms of simplicity and reduced cost.

I agree, I could just have easily downloaded information on the Justin Bieber fan club, the Friends reunion, how someone's cat attacked their dog, or some inane drivel about the life of a celebrity, but I didn't, and that's the point. It isn't the internet which is making some people dumb, it is how they are using the internet.

As far as a greater variety of perspectives in concerned: I have to push back against the idea of the internet being an echo chamber of radicalism. Sure, that can easily happen, but it is up to the individual to try to stop themselves from falling into that trap. I try to watch one conservative or libertarian video for every liberal one I watch on YouTube, for example. I really would have no other source for this because the news media in New Zealand is hopelessly left-biased.

And after doing this I have realised how poorly the mainstream media really serves us. I always say that after watching the TV news I know less than when I started. This is a rhetorical point, and not to be taken too seriously, but there is an element of truth there. If I see a TV news item and am really interested in it, I try to get tot he truth on-line. And yes, I know I could easily be misinformed by doing that, but I am careful about my sources, and I try to deliberately look at all sides of anything which is controversial.

A recent OECD report showed that young people, who use the internet extensively (maybe even as much as me), are quite good at distinguishing what is opinion and what is fact, so the common concern that internet users can get tied up in fantasy is certainly overdone.

So yes, the internet is awesome. Is it potentially a place I could be hopelessly ill-informed, radicalised, and brought to the brink of losing touch with reality? Absolutely! Is it also a place where I can become really well informed, fairly instructed regarding the nuances of any topic, and gain a far deeper and wider appreciation of the real word? Also, yes.

Like most tools, the internet is neither good nor bad, but it must be used with respect and skill to be genuinely useful.

Comment 1 (6714) by Anonymous on 2021-06-02 at 13:41:34:

No doubt that the web/interest is on balance a great thing. But, the capture of a large amount of people's attention by content generated/linked by algorithms has led to people consuming content that largely aligns with their existing thinking (your so called echo chamber).

No doubt that this happens. No doubt that it is a bad thing. Balance and diversity of views (within reason) should be an aspiration, however, the business model of large "social" media organisations does not encourage (actively discourages?) this.

Comment 2 (6715) by OJB on 2021-06-02 at 20:58:25:

You make a very good point there, and I have definitely noticed this effect myself, especially on Facebook and YouTube. I try to bypass these by deliberately seeking out stuff not suggested by the algorithms. I also use a more neutral search engine: DuckDuckGo.

Comment 3 (6730) by Anonymous on 2021-06-06 at 13:03:28:

You see the young generation who are hooked on their phones and have no clues about the real world and think this is good? Which internet do you use?

Comment 4 (6731) by OJB on 2021-06-06 at 16:57:01:

I'm not denying that the internet can be a problem. It is like any other tool or phenomenon: it can be used for good or bad. Do you think the "young kids" today really waste their time on the internet compared with other ways kids wasted their time "back in the day". Sure, I agree they might be getting less exercise because they do less outdoor activities, but I don't think anything is fundamentally different.

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