originally posted in:Secular Sevens
so in today's world it seems as though everything i could ever need to do can be done on the internet.
i can work on the internet
i can bank on the internet
i can play games on the internet
i can watch films on the internet
i can watch live TV on the internet
i can listen to music on the internet
i can communicate with all my friends at once on the internet
i can talk face-to-face with the friends i like on the internet
i can get a girlfriend / boyfriend on the internet
i can shop for groceries on the internet
i can buy a new car on the internet
i can send my special someone flowers, chocolates and a birthday card on the internet
i can book a holiday to Japan on the internet
i can learn about the history of Cornish Pasties on the internet
i can find out pretty much any piece of information i want on the internet
and this is just the stuff you have a choice to do over the internet or not; many many things are being phased out (or already have been) in favour of internet-equivalents.
is this too much for the modern human being?
imagine what would happen if suddenly the internet went down and [b]never[/b] came back. could we as a species cope?
are we putting too many of our needy eggs in the one basket that is the internet?
do we really need to rely on technology [i]this [/i]much?
discuss.
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If the internet went down permanently, we'd have to deal with a lot more serious problems than having to walk to the supermarket.
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Edited by o0MrCheesy0o: 3/24/2013 12:03:16 PMAre we relying too much on the auto-mobile nowadays? Are we relying too much on the microwave oven-nowadays? Are we relying too much on electricity nowadays? Are we relying too much on the spear nowadays? (cave-man times?) That train of thought can go on and on, until you come to the final conclusion that we're just relying "too much" on technology, but that's something mans been doing since forever. Everything you've listed can still be done via traditional means though, so we're not reliant on the internet for them - it's just there, as an alternative.
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I'm not reliant. People who are make me feel uncomfortable. I don't have a smartphone. I read physical books. I buy CD's to play on my stereo. I meet girls that I date in the real world.
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Edited by Thecrow333: 5/2/2013 11:30:26 PMno we don't need tech this much and I don't think a lot of people could cope, me, I hunt, fish, talk with friends face to face, hike, and have weekly airsoft fights and don't own a phone so I could live just fine without electricity but a lot of other people I don't believe could such as the two I saw in a park on a bench texting each other or the GROWN man I saw cry because his battery ran out and the girl in my math class who threatened to kill herself because the teacher took her phone I don't own one and the last time I had to use one I spent twenty minutes trying to find the on button while my friend was there watching me fail and laughing the whole time as Mitch Hedberg says I like to keep my friends close by so that when one needs my help I can say yes? and tilt my head slightly
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The question in this case isn't the lack of internet; as long as we still have legs, books, and friends entertainment wouldn't be a problem. But if you are talking about losing the internet and it never coming back, that means we have lost all communications technology. That would be the symptom of a much more complicated global problem. If we lose the internet permanently, that means we lost power permanently, and suddenly we are living out a post-apocalyptic sci-fi trope. So the real question is this: Can you identify which berries are poisonous? Can you hunt for your food? Can you maintain a shelter to protect you from both extreme heat and extreme cold while also keeping you out of reach from predators while you sleep?
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Electromagnetic pulse
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Capitalize your 'I's bro
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I don't know... Let me google that and see what the Internet says.
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The internet is the pinnacle or technology, why wouldn't we rely on it so much? Yes, there's always a risk of losing it, but that's a given. Technology is meant to make our lives easier.
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Edited by Mayhem: 3/24/2013 8:20:07 PMMost definitely. If the internet ceased to exist overnight, the vast majority of the population would try to google "How do I fix my internet?" the next morning.
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If the Internet makes our lives easier, more productive, and happier, why would there be such a thing as relying on it ''too much''? Am I also relying on medical technology, transportation, and agricultural technology too much? When did relying on things that raise our standard of living become a bad thing? You make the point that the if the Internet went away suddenly, that would be very bad for us. But isn't that a sign that the Internet greatly helps us and therefore is something that we should rely on?
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Yes, it's also drastically reducing our desire to read lengthy articles. People have become greatly accustomed to receiving information the way that the internet distributes it - Quick and short - , which results in a lower attention span when it comes to reading.
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I'm not sure. Let me Google it.
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I'd say that we are more trusting, but we aren't relying on it too much.
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i like cake
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People need tangible relationships, not just internet ones. I take a week long break once a month, so I can focus on my close friends and family.
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I saw a good real life demonstration of this last July. The freak storm that ripped through the midwest all the way to the east coast, we had trees taking down power lines everywhere. We were without power in many areas for 5 days, some longer due to the expanse of damage done. Kids and grown ups alike were freaking out because they could not use their modern conveniences. The only phones that were still working were the land lines somehow. People tried to acquire generators to power their basic 'needs', but only found the shelves empty. For me and other older people, we really weren't that hindered by it. Sure we had to get ice from wherever we could or food was spoiling in our refrigerators and freezers, It was in the mid 90's that week, so it was very difficult to maintain cool. We were less busy being entertained, and back to the business of being. It was actually cool to see people come away from their electronic 'whatevers' for a while, and actually talk to other people like we used to. Then the power came back on.
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I think we are relying too much on water, we should stop that shit. Everyone's addicted to it and it kills you, slowly.
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Edited by Egerspurge: 3/24/2013 9:17:28 AMKITTENS!!!!
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"relying too much on the internet" make it seem like a fad that could disappear. It wont. The internet is truly a remarkable thing. It's a source of information, conversation, social interaction, communication, and commerce. Could we go back to days without the internet? Sure. But life would be so much more work.
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Relevant.