Buridan’s (or Aristotle’s, or Devo’s) irony shows the internet’s devastating potential. Most importantly, repeating words also shows that I am smart. But here is the ugly beauty of the internet. I found the interesting facts by following the link from Devo’s quote to Aristotle to Buridan’s paradox. It took five minutes, where before the Internet it would have taken several trips to the library plus letters requesting information to be sent to the Devo people in Akron, Ohio. In other words, forget about it.
Instead, with access to all the useless information printed on the computer, I can boast about the wonders of the human mind and collect little things that, although interesting, will be forgotten in less time than it took to find them.
But I am wrong. That’s how the web has spiced up its pants and our brains. You can’t stop wondering. You interrupt dinner to see what someone just said. (Did I mention that the internet makes us boring?)
It’s often a tragic accident that makes the internet fun again. An example. My son told me the name of the girl he asked on a date. My daughter and I looked this girl up on Instagram. Looking at her inappropriate pictures, I did the most inappropriate thing of letting my fat thumb fall in love with her unknowingly. Then the most inappropriate interruption of all: not knowing what I did, I failed to “break up” with him quickly.
Opening
So the girl had an inappropriate old man who liked her inappropriate image. I told my son to blame his sister. Lying was the only right thing to do in any sad situation, although telling the truth may have freed me from the internet. Maybe I was banned.
The author of the book The New Yorker The article, Kyle Chayka, confirmed that “the Internet today seems to have nothing, as a means of communication, although it has more than before”. Doctorow revolutionized social media: “First, it’s good for users; then abuse their users to create better products for their commercial clients; Finally, they abuse their business customers to get back all the profits. Then they die.” (But how can I repeat this? I didn’t go to a newsagent and buy a copy of Wired.) But they don’t die, do they? They do all those stupid things, and then they keep growing. Call it the Zuckerberg Paradox (yes, I know Mark Zuckerberg didn’t invent the Internet; Trump did.)
To find answers, thinkers look to technological autonomy: giving people the freedom to run away from real criminals like cyberterrorists, hackers, AI and the Chinese government causing chaos around the world. But what if we don’t want to run away? What if the Internet is so boring that it fails its promise, the more we can’t climb? What if (as was the case with my son and that girl) the time has already passed?
Moderation, in the spirit of internet freedom, is failing. Said Devo: “Freedom is what you have/Freedom is what you want.” Maybe the world needs an uber-parent to take over our devices, and maybe the deep desire to raise a child is why the world’s biggest countries support uber-parents, including millions in the USA who express their desires by voting. to the world’s biggest uber-kid, who also has the biggest phone problem.
Opening
I settled on a New Year’s resolution this week, which was to stop my screen time from going up…the information I forgot why I wanted it or the persuasive fact I forgot I was looking forward to.
Malcolm Knox is a journalist, author and columnist.
#internet #die #boredom #Google