Is the internet good for us?
Asked four different ways in the same fortnight, which is itself part of the record: has the internet made it easier or harder to get information; is it better at spreading information or misinformation; is it making the truth easier or harder to reach; is it good for us. Nairobi and Denver, a bounty question put by three different contributors.
Almost nobody said yes or no. The common answer, in both cities, was that the internet is exactly as good as what you go looking for, and that the work has moved from finding things to telling them apart.
The answers
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Easier, but confusing.
“I think the internet has made it easier, but confusing for people to get access to information.”
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Both. It is not one-sided.
“I think it’s both. It’s not one-sided.”
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A tool for both. Be discerning.
“I think it’s both. It’s definitely a tool for both. … you kind of need to be discerning, you know, be like a critical thinker with your sources”
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Easier to reach; the truth ebbs and flows.
“the truth kind of ebbs and flows in a way where people assume things are the truth and then it kind of gets blasted”
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Absolutely good for us, and it makes your opinions crazier.
“The internet is absolutely good for us. But I do see the downsides. … when you end up in an environment where you never hear anything but your own opinion, your opinion gets more and more crazy”
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A good thing, with some bad things to it.
“I think the internet is a good thing. It has some bad things to it, too.”
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The truth is a subjective format; piece out what is consistent.
“It’s interesting because the truth is a subjective format. The truth is anything that is set forth by a person. You can tell me your truth, but your truth is not my truth.”
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A tool for both: scammers in every corner, and the people who debunk them.
“I would honestly think that it’s a tool for both. There’s scammers on all parts of the internet, every little nook and cranny and corner, right?”
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A double-edged sword, depending on your due diligence.
“I think the internet is a double-edged sword. So on one end, it’s made it a lot easier for you to access factual information.”
Other questions the archive has answered
- What is the most important global issue today? 8
- What made you smile today? 9
- What is Ethereum? 7
- What do you think of the United States? 7
- How has the place you live changed in your lifetime? 6
- Do you have a message for the builders? 5
- What would you say to someone under ten? 3
- If you could ask the whole world one question, what would it be? 22
Every answer on these pages is a quote checked against the transcript of the video it came from. To put a question to your own street, see One Question. To find a word across every transcript, search.