The Internet: a blessing and a curse?

[tuckerwphotography]

I’m currently apprenticing at an electricity-free ecovillage. The man who runs the community does not use the internet (at least not directly) and claims he simply cannot support the digital world given the amble studies of its harms on our mental health as well as its high carbon footprint and other issues, such as child mining to make our iPhones, computers, etc. A part of me deeply respects and resonates with his worldview, and another part of me feels denying the internet and digital technology or writing it all off as a cancer is shortsighted and denying some of the powerful positive impacts that its had, and more importantly, could have, once human consciousness further evolves.

I myself have drastically reduced my digital technology usage (deleting social media, etc) but still use the internet as a tool for my own growth and education as well as practical things like online banking. 

My intuition says that he is missing the bigger picture of human evolution by writing off the internet entirely, neglecting to see how it has and can connect (maybe even one day unify) the global population especially as our consciousness evolves into the second tier, and yet I find his arguments at face value all hold merit and are backed by plenty of compelling evidence on the negative impacts of it all. And I respect his ability to walk the walk, a rarity in today’s world. 

Curious to hear what y’all think about the internet in general, its role in the evolution of human consciousness, and how we drastically reduce, redesign or rethink our relationship with it, if not get rid of it all-together (if that’s even possible). If so, what might that future, healthier version of the internet emerge into?

Thanks

[Recursoinominado]

A blessing. 

I would be fucked or could have committed suicide long ago if it wasn't for the internet and its endless possibilities. 

Enlightenment is almost a mainstream term now but it would be impossible without the internet.

I know I wouldn't have a clue about self-development, meditation, metaphysics, emotional mastery whatever without it.

[hoodrow trillson]

IMHO, I think it's much more of a curse.

I grew up as a kid with a good child life, playing with my friends, playing video games, going to the pool, spending time playing outside all day, etc--all the normal fun things kids should have fun doing.  When I became a teen, I got the internet in the form of AOL/AIM chatrooms, etc.  It was still somewhat in it's infancy.  Everyone was anonymous and only had a screen name.  

Websites weren't very advanced and I remember thinking as a kid:  the internet is kind of like an interactive video game.  Way different than like my Nintendo 64 but still really cool.  I used to troll forums a lot.  Only because I got a kick out of it and it was funny to me because it's not real.  I'll never meet these people in real life and it was very enjoyable literally saying ANYTHING online without real life repercussions (the internet isn't real life!).

I know/knew the distinction between REALITY (ie: present moment, REAL LIFE) and the Internet (ie:  this virtual world of information and entertainment).

The problem NOW is that we are no longer anonymous.  The line between reality and virtual world has been blurred considerably.  And this isn't an opinion:  I've seen the trajectory of this and I actually prophesied that people were going to emerge with mental problems, have anxiety, be weird in person, have social problems, believe the echo chambers they'd be in, etc.  It's like the fake self in us, has used the internet to maximize it's potential.  It's absolutely insane.  It's almost like the small self has made another tinier self but for online purposes if that makes any sense.

When the smartphone became mainstream, is when it all went to hell.  Anybody can have an opinion and put it online as fact.  Nowadays, social media/forums are filled with people who never experienced early day forums/message boards filled with trolling, bannings, flame wars etc.  People back then knew ultimately it was all in good fun just to get a kick out of it.  So nowadays, most people sit on FB, IG, Twitter and argue ALL DAY and EVERY DAY about inane shit that isn't even REAL LIFE.  If a troll comes along, everybody goes ape shit much more severely than before.  They've NEVER had that luxury of witnessing trolling online almost as an art form.  It's serious business to most people now.

Of course, there are HUGE strides in technology because of the internet that allows current luxuries to flourish--I get that.

But I think at one point we're going to have to abandon this social media conglomerate into something more useful to get back to Offline Life I remember adults having when I was a kid.  However, the insidious pull of these apps and games nowadays are much more powerful and tap into and trigger those dopamine hits we start to crave.

It's super interesting, because I will remember THIS version of the internet fondly later on in life and laugh at how absurd it was at people arguing about shit that didn't really matter and they can't get that time back EVER.

Edited June 21, 2020 by hoodrow trillson