Has the internet made the world a better place?

[dronefromsector7G]

Been a long time since I had to ask for a donkey porn mag in a crowded shop.

I can’t imagine how many people you wouldn’t have heard of prior to the Internet

 

[Barcon]

I can’t imagine how many people you wouldn’t have heard of prior to the Internet

My brain would be free to absorb even more knowledge and thus provide me with, "mad skills".

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I can’t imagine how many people you wouldn’t have heard of prior to the Internet

Number 7 will shock you.

 

[RayCTID]

It is a useful tool but in general no people are too dependant on it.

 

[ctidcarl]

The internet is fantastic - a truly great invention.

Unfortunately used and ruined by humans

 

[cleavers]

Wouldn’t have to suffer match day forum…….

Nobody ever needs to go on there.

 

[urban genie]

It has

Allowed people to speak to family and friends across the world.
Made learnig and researching knowledge quicker and more accessable.
Made entertainment of music, sport and film more accessable.
Brings global news to you.
For people housebound through illness or such gave them access to buy food, clothes and book holidays.
Gave a voice to the loons of the world.
Helps polarize opinion and create echo chambers.
Can be used to spread lies and misinformation.
can be ysed to bully and abuse people.
Made it easisr to find wanking material rather than disgarded jazz mags in a park ;-)

so hit n miss

 

[Bill Walker]

Yes & No

I was quite happy before it and I'm quite happy now.
I walk a lot and phone zombies annoy me, coming towards me staring at the phone (this is mostly people under 40).
I don't do X or any of the others.
But it must have saved millions of trees. Letters, newspapers etc.

It's nice not to have to go out to do certain things like buy insurance, or a holiday, or flight, just bought a new car without the pain of going into a showroom.
When I first came to oz it was a $ a minute to phone the UK, and a $ then was like probably $6 now, now it's free and can be video.

 

[Turtlepath]

Its had such an impact its difficult to recall a world without it. Yet i'm 45 so approximately half my life was without it. So, i think about what has made me happy in those 45 years and would those moments have existed without the internet? The answer is no its not made me happier by itself and yes those moments would have existed as its made zero difference to the most important moments. If the question was whether its made life easier then also yes, considerably so. Has it made the world a better place? That depends on the definition of the word 'better'. It most certainly made it less safe...not because its made people more evil at that evil always existed, but its made the access to evil more available to those that chose to search for it. I live a life now which wouldnt have been possible without the internet...but then again i guess that applies to many of us. So....on the whole...the internet is bad yet sadly inevitable for the continual forward motion of life as we know it. All of this could be summed up by my actual answer of "dunno". No need to thank me for this incredibly useless answer. Here all week folks for more stunning advice if needed.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

The internet as a whole, I’d say yes.

Social media though, IMO has had a net negative impact.