When it comes to crime in the Bluff City, my father has always said it best. “Memphis is just like any other city,” he used to tell me. “There are good parts, and bad parts. If you stay out of the bad parts, chances are that you’ll be okay.”
The “hopes and fears” of the connected masses as discussed by Baym harkens back to the all-too familiar technological commentary of Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. In the opening pages of this thought provoking paper-back, Postman contrasts the forecasts of George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, two prominent 20th century philosophers. Orwell believed that censorship by “the man” would suppress the masses, while Huxley feared that the masses would suppress themselves with diversions. In Postman’s words, “…Orwell feared that what we hate would ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love would ruin us” (Postman). Postman’s work asserts that we were already witnessing the fulfillment of Huxley’s prophesy when he finished Amusing in 1985, and many tend to echo his sentiments. Today, these feelings are most often re-directed toward the internet. Many have begun to feel concerned that perhaps we have accumulated troves of information and content so vast that we cease to see its value or relevance.
However, in reading Baym and Herring, we begin to see that many express more visceral fears of what the internet is, or may become. These authors remind us of the reality that the internet is reflective of the human condition. As such, while the web offers opportunities to learn and explore, it is not without a dark side. The sexual exploitation of children on the internet, even beyond child pornography, is far more common than many of us would care to admit. So, it should not be surprising that, upon witnessing such instances of degradation in the media, some begin to fear the internet. Indeed, it is not unwise for one to have a healthy awareness for how some choose to employ the web for such purposes.
Nonetheless, it is also important to remember that the internet, just like a big city, has good parts and bad parts. We ought to continue to use the internet to learn and explore. Because, as long as we are wise and avoid the bad parts, we’ll probably be okay.
Postman, Niel. Amusing Ourselves to Death. London: Peguin Books, 1985. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.
I could not agree more with what your father said —-When it comes to crime in the Bluff City, my father has always said it best. “Memphis is just like any other city,” he used to tell me. “There are good parts, and bad parts. If you stay out of the bad parts, chances are that you’ll be okay.”—There are good parts to technology, such as the educational side, we just need to stray away from the bad parts.
I think you really hit on the Catch 22 of the internet. There are bad and good parts of it, and it is up to the user to decide what parts they will use. So are society’s fears of the internet actually fears of the ‘internet’ or fears of what other people will do with the internet? That poses a very interesting question.
Technological determinists might hold their fears with the Internet, fearing the submission to the almighty technology that lords over us miniscule users. But, as Dr. Markman mentioned in our discussion, it is more lenient as technology and society work in tandem.
We do have a role of agency and we can create, alter, and sustain our relationships with and among the internet. That means we can probably overcome our fears if we can become more aware. Or we can categorize what we fear, lump them into a category and vilify them. Fears are rooted in natural concerns over accepting and adopting changes. Because the structure is so loose and the online environment is constantly changing, it is hard for people to know their category and find their place. There is no social sanctity. There is no perfect pocket will protect you against evils, or a contrary opinion, or an offensive subject. Some circles of society are used to that. We don’t want to see the bad, because it makes it easier to pretend it doesn’t exist.
We like to be protected against the unknown. Jacob’s father told him there are good and bad parts. I think this is an oversimplification, but it rings true. They might be bad parts for you, but they aren’t bad for everyone. It doesn’t mean they are inherently evil, but you might want to choose not to participate. Nonetheless, we are going to isolate ourselves according to our comfort level. And some will speak out against what they fear will lead to moral decline. But there are endless possibilities for everyone. We can choose to see it or ignore it, to participate or sit back, posit that it is deteriorating our society, or let it be.