• abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    8·
    11 days ago

    Are you sure about that?

    Like I know you are going to point to the following:

    • Surveillance Capitalism
    • The rise of the Alt Right
    • Conspiracies
    • Social Media

    But I would pin that more on capitalism than anything. The internet in my opinion has been a boon for society. For example…

    • Wikipedia has basically made the HitchHikers Guide to the Galaxy real.
    • Open Source Technology wouldn’t exist as it is now without the internet.
    • There are entire businesses that wouldn’t exist without the internet.
    • There are whole fandoms that wouldn’t exist without the internet.
    • The internet has allowed for economic and political opportunities that just couldn’t be a thing if it wasn’t for the internet.
    • It’s been a boon for collaboration, which I think it’s humanity’s biggest strength.

    Do I think the internet has allowed for us to enter a cyberpunk hellscape? Yes. Do I think the internet has been a net negative for society? No!

    • Daftydux@lemmy.dbzer0.comOPEnglish
      4·
      11 days ago

      The current interation has made it a tool for the authoritarian. Its a completely deliberate act by the authoritarian tech sector. They saw the power they wield and they harnessed it.

      • hansolo@lemmy.today
        8·
        11 days ago

        But that’s on us as people electing leaders. Authoritarians exist with or without the internet, and don’t just show up one day with some cheat code to get into power. The internet didn’t create any of this from scratch.