The "invention" (rather, the introduction to the West of the Chinese technology of "movable types") of the printing press changed the Western world with consequences for the entire globe.
The most conspicuous change was the Lutheran and Calvinist Reformation.
The Internet is the true new revolution.
What will happen in the future (and is already happening) as a result of this "invention?" (Mumford Lewis and Marshall McLuhan among the many, had predicted that
something like the Internet was inevitable. Thus, in the abstract, it had already been invented.)
What kind of changes will happen? THINK BIG!
COMMENT AND REPLY ad-libitum.
The internet is obviously a huge invention in the way that it has changed the lives of people, and the world in general.
ReplyDeleteFor one, the internet has created a multitude of jobs. For example, there are people who make computers, people who work for big computer companies such as apple, there are internet programs such as netflix that stream their own tv shows that are only available to you if you have internet connection. The internet has also created jobs within the internet itself. For example, youtube is a platform where people upload videos to the internet, and it has come to the point that many people use youtube as their full time jobs, and make quite a lot of money doing so.
The internet also provides a way to quickly do research right at our finger tips, which is far easier than going to a library and using a million different books to write a paper. The internet also allows for an internet course, such as this one to exist. Nowadays, people can get college educations without even leaving their homes!
I think changes that the internet has made to the world are both good and bad. I have already discussed how it is good by creating all of these new jobs, but there are in fact some down sides.
Since the internet, there is now a way to anonymously bully people through a computer screen. Parents now not only have to worry about their children being teased in schools, but now also through their computer screens. The internet is also a way that predators can talk to children and lure them to them.
The internet has most definitely changed the world for the good and for the bad but in my opinion, the good definitely outweighs the bad.
Thank you Jessica for breaking the ice. You took a snapshot of the situation as it is from the perspective of users, people like me and you.
ReplyDeleteNext comments should try to envision what will happen in the future, because you are going to be the generation that will have to deal with the consequences of the revolution. Gutenberg had no idea he would split Europe apart and cause religion wars with millions of deaths (check the 30 years war, 1618-1648 - on the web, or course): a war that continued in Ireland until a decade ago.
One thing is what you wish, another is what you may/should be ready for in order to avoid it.
It has been argued whether the invention of the printing press is evolutionary or revolutionary, and I think it is certainly revolutionary. Huge social and political shifts have appeared as a result of the printing press- print became exponentially cheaper and people became significantly more educated. Ideas can be written and shared to the masses, and that form of expression is very important.
ReplyDeleteI think the same can be said for the internet. There have been countless times where I don't know something and I looked it up on my phone within a matter of seconds. It makes me think how much less I would be aware of without the internet, had I not been able to quickly retrieve the information. I think another benefit to the internet is the reduction of paper which must be produced for physical copies of documents. Digitizing things ultimately helps cut down on waste; I will finish this course without using a single sheet of paper, and this was certainly not the case for classrooms of the past.
Of course, there are negatives to this development. Bookstores are closing, brick and mortar shops are going out of business or going fully digital, and newspapers are dying. However as Jessica mentioned, new legitimate jobs are being created online, such as YouTube, blogging and social media managing, and the pros certainly outweigh the cons in my opinion.
Like the printing press invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1450, the Internet is an invention that has changed the world.
ReplyDeleteThe Internet hold databases of information that are available with one simple search. This is a positive thing because it allows for easy and accessible answers and information whenever you need it. However, it has also made people lazy and impatient. By this I mean that consumers are lazy to the point that if they can't find information easily on the Internet, they rarely pursue their curiosity further by going to the library or another source of information that requires more work. By impatient I mean that users of the Internet expect instant gratification and become agitated when they can't get their answers due to slow internet speeds. Back in the day of the printing press, who would've thought this was what the future would look like?
I think the future of the Internet (and right now) involves more invasion of privacy. I remember what the Internet was like in the earlier days, and as it evolves I have noticed more techniques being used for businesses in advertising. The Internet tracks what you browse and releases it to advertising companies that put ads similar to your interests. Who knows what else can be done with this tracking in the future? Also, with the use of artificial intelligence, the Internet is only getting smarter. I think the use of artificial intelligence with the Internet will be used more in the future.
Upon reading the question, I too thought of the invasion of privacy, which has become a topic of concern within recent years. As the technology to 'spy' on individuals expands -- as well as the ability of corporations to sell information -- personal information will increasingly reside with the state or other organization. This could imply a complete supplication of the masses, afraid to act freely for the sake of their dignity, (which is the end of liberal/sovereign 'democracy), or an all-out rebellion against such a system, in which the current political/social systems in place are at risk.
DeleteThe introduction of the internet was beneficial to Americans for the expansion of the Information Age. Mass communication and easy access to knowledge became possible and its impact was revolutionary. However, in terms of looking into the future, I would like to imagine it from the perspective of a historian. With all of the information that is made available and all of the opinions expressed even on social sites like Twitter and Instagram, the amount of history to one day be studied of our generation is exponential. The amount of primary source that has been made available by the public will open the doors to different micro-histories where every voice could be studied and interpreted. As a history major I know that different generations have provided historians with more and more access to an understanding of a time period and the age of the internet will likely someday be its own category of history. The changes arguing to be difficult as the internet and technology have allowed us to alter a lot of information. Today we consider paintings primary sources but thirty years from now, it may be difficult to distinguish what is real and what is photoshopped because that's a very real issue even today! There will definitely also be too much room for interpretation as the voice and opinions of the people will constantly change as knowledge and information continues to spread.
ReplyDeleteThe internet has benefited us as human beings beyond our wildest dreams. It has aided in communication, the spread of knowledge, and unlimited access to knowledge for anyone who has access to the internet. Social media has made it possible to talk to family members, friends, and strangers from around the globe. Even books, which used to be only available to buy in bookstores, or rent in libraries are now available online and through tablets to read on the go. The benefits of the internet, I believe, greatly outweigh the bad, but there are still negatives. Now that information is readily available at the click of a button, many people do not bother to memorize or learn information that used to be common knowledge because they know it can easily be found on search engines like Google. A TV show I have just started called Black Mirror predicts the harmful consequences the future of technology and the internet can have on our world if we let it. Although I have only watched a few episodes so far, it's apparent that these somewhat terrifying events and situations just might be a part of our future if technology continues to expand.
ReplyDeleteAs Prof. Carasi pointed out, the most conspicuous change of the "invention" of the printing press was the Protestant Reformation, which might be described as a polarization of thought within the church, leading to a schism. Political scientists and students of the discipline, like myself, have within the last decade become increasingly aware of 'political polarization,' which is a greater and greater gap between political ideologies. In the United States, these are referred to as 'parties,' of which we have 2 major. While we have a long history of a two-party system, only since 1996 have the 2 groups shown such resistance in refusing to collaborate or compromise. Before this period, voters mostly had 'moderate' views (middle grounds of both extremes) or cherry-picked their views from both parties. Now there has been an observed political ideology, in which voters resolve to align with one party and vote in accordance with only consideration. Thus, people support their team and, thus, all of the standpoints of that team, without regard to the individual issues at hand.
ReplyDeleteIt is no coincidence that this phenomenon began in the late 1990s, with the advent of cable news television and personal access to the internet. Since that time, media has ceased to be information-providing and is instead awe-inspiring; it seeks the activity and dedication of its viewers by showcasing the most sensational, aggravating news stories. When the American populace is told that the Democrats and Republicans stand completely at odds, with the most notable figures from each party constantly vilified or glorified, of course viewers will begin to assimilate this into their personal assessments of the political culture. In 2016, we saw this in action with the election of Donald Trump and the parallel rise of neoconservatists, neo-Nazis, and alt-right activists in the US and throughout the world. The media charade between the Democratic and Republican candidates is an easily identifiable reason for the election of President Trump.
Unfortunately, this is just one example of many of the effects of internet on political behavior. Myself and other political scientists believe that political polarization will only grow as the power of the internet continues to, and the ramifications of such will be even greater than they are now. This could include polarization of the entire world on political ideology, Left vs. Right, Capitalist vs. Socialist, or even something crazy and arbitrary, like English-speaking vs. non-English-speaking, left-handed vs. right-handed, pineapple-on or -off pizza. This may be laughable, but an evaluation of history would suggest that stranger lines have been drawn in the past (white skin vs. black?) and that humans do not really behave rationally. When using the internet to read political news, share one's political views, or simply interact with peers, it is essential to be wary of what you are being told and who stands to gain from such a position. Be wary of aligning with a group simply for the sake of doing so, or becomes others also do.