Are we relying too much on the Internet?

Biggins

Following a train of thought about one young lazy sod that posted a question in another section (he wanted answers to a question so he could copy and past all the answers into a blank document and hand it up as his homework!), it got me thinking...

Are we relying TOO much on the internet?

Supposing the power went for our laptops/pc/GPS systems etc...

Could our younger offspring know how to survive in a less powered world?
Could they read maps, know how to get answers from actual paper books and libraries - would they bother or take the lazy way out?
Not do it!

Are we too reliant on the electronic age and what if it goes off line for some reason (war perhaps)?

Ass

Yes.

galwayrush

I have forgotten what life was like before it.
Major part of our lives now, like electricity and running water and Indian food.

minxie

its the way forward...
we will always be dependant on it one way or another

Professey Chin

THE WORLD IS FCUKED!!!!!

galwayrush

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

THE WORLD IS FCUKED!!!!!

FCUK has indeed done rather well.:p

Latchy

The children will always adapt .They are good at doing that .

Cuddlesworth

Its ok, I've watched loads of Ray Mears. The first thing I would do is get a knife and set up camp in a Mc Donalds.

mike65

Survivors or possibly Dead Set!

Professey Chin

galwayrush wrote: »

FCUK has indeed done rather well.:p

I know. People keep buyin me FCUK aftershave.I have a beard......

Pherekydes

What's e^(1+i) in polar form?

And hurry up with the answer, please.

galwayrush

Pherekydes wrote: »

What's e^(1+i) in polar form?

And hurry up with the answer, please.

Simply equates to "Open another bottle of wine"

pablomakaveli

Biggins wrote: »

Following a train of thought about one young lazy sod that posted a question in another section (he wanted answers to a question so he could copy and past all the answers into a blank document and hand it up as his homework!), it got me thinking...

Are we relying TOO much on the internet?

Supposing the power went for our laptops/pc/GPS systems etc...

Could our younger offspring know how to survive in a less powered world?
Could they read maps, know how to get answers from actual paper books and libraries - would they bother or take the lazy way out?
Not do it!

Are we too reliant on the electronic age and what if it goes off line for some reason (war perhaps)?

Is this the thread your referring to

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055449784

Biggins

I think that for all the skills we have gained electronic-wise, we are losing just as much manual wise.
Brain cells are not being as used as much and being pushed to their limit as much any more.
The progression of the human race has slowed to snail pace.
When we had to get out there and physically look for answers, we appreciated them more and we learned what it was in values, to have sought for answers eventually in our hands.
...not we just turn on our laptops, etc.

Recently a number of states in the far east had their internet cut due to a breakage in the digital phone lines. Economies, stock exchanges, schools and other important functions came to a halt.

I fear we are too reliant on just one main source of answers.

Terry

Biggins wrote: »

Are we too reliant on the electronic age and what if it goes off line for some reason (war perhaps)?

I hear they have some internet down Californee way.

Biggins

pablomakaveli wrote: »

Is this the thread your referring to

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055449784

No.

This one: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=58413824#post58413824

Pherekydes

galwayrush wrote: »

Simply equates to "Open another bottle of wine"

Hey, I'm shocked. That actually works!

/toddles off happily

Steve

Biggins wrote: »

Are we relying TOO much on the internet?

Absolutely yes, everyone is. You'd swear it had dirty pictures or something.

Gummy Panda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-TA57L0kuc

i71jskz5xu42pb

Biggins wrote: »

The progression of the human race has slowed to snail pace.

Do you read this stuff out loud to yourself before hitting submit? Does it make sense to you?

Can you name any fields where we are making less progress now than 10, 20, 50, 100 years ago? Aside from basket weaving.

Toiletroll

Biggins wrote: »

Following a train of thought about one young lazy sod that posted a question in another section (he wanted answers to a question so he could copy and past all the answers into a blank document and hand it up as his homework!), it got me thinking...

Are we relying TOO much on the internet?

Supposing the power went for our laptops/pc/GPS systems etc...

Could our younger offspring know how to survive in a less powered world?
Could they read maps, know how to get answers from actual paper books and libraries - would they bother or take the lazy way out?
Not do it!

Are we too reliant on the electronic age and what if it goes off line for some reason (war perhaps)?

Most future economic growth will occur online or have online touch points. The market for something to believe in is infinite.

Not only is the web growing during the downturn, but much of the online growth is driven by marketing and search.

When you back out inflation and opportunity cost, professional investors are lucky to gain 5% a year.

ShaneU

Biggins wrote: »

Are we too reliant on the electronic age and what if it goes off line for some reason (war perhaps)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8TpzCbHIpg

ntlbell

Biggins wrote: »

Are we too reliant on the electronic age and what if it goes off line for some reason (war perhaps)?

I'll be ok, I have a backup :cool:

Borneo Fnctn

When you see what i've seen on the internet, you can't go back to Playboy.

Biggins

Iris Great Orange wrote: »

Do you read this stuff out loud to yourself before hitting submit? Does it make sense to you?

Can you name any fields where we are making less progress now than 10, 20, 50, 100 years ago? Aside from basket weaving.

I agree with you that we are making advances and always will be.
However in straight forwards thinking, we are slowing down.

For example, yesterday I was asked by a friend could I fix his sons Ipod. The son was 15. He got it for Christmas.
I asked him what was wrong with it. He said and I quote "I plugged it into the computer and it won't work. It won't download the songs for me!"
(he knew absolutely nothing else about the Ipod - he just thought you plugged it in and down came the songs from the net - seriously!)
Gritting my teeth I asked him "did you read the instructions or manual that came with it?"
Answer: "Well... no."

Gritting my teeth again and smiling "Can I have the box your Ipod came in?"
In the box was one manual, one short version instructions and one completely sealed unopened installation cd.

It was my turn to be stupid. I asked "Did you run the cd?"
He looked at me as if I had two heads.
His answer: "No. Was I meant to?"
My answer: "Well if you actually read one of the two instructions given, in the very first stages, you'd see it says you have to run the cd!"

Long story short, I ran the cd, everything worked fine.
(He had just sat on his backside with the problem since Christmas morning, not seeking or thinking of how to solve his problem on his own!)

---

Where I worry is that the skills of processing trains of thought are weakening!
Rather than thinking things out in stages as we some us do in the process of problem solving, some just down tools and wait, rely on others to do it for them. Thats ok in some cases but if that action is persistent, I worry for the future of your youth.

There won't always be someone there to provide answers for questions. Sometimes we actually have to add one and one to get the answer of "two" instead of looking it up on the net or not even opening a book or instruction manual.
Have we lost the ability to even think of doing that? Not everything is just plug in/switch on and there's your answers.

Every once in a while we actually have to think problem solving mental processes through or we'll end up with a nation of characters something similar to the characters in the film "Dumb and Dumber".

i71jskz5xu42pb

Biggins wrote: »

I worry for the future of your youth.

20, 30, 50, 100 years ago people were worrying about the future of the youth. Funny enough the youth manage to make it through OK

Try this:

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.

Socrates (469–399 B.C.)

Your rose tinted view that kids were smarter, more resourceful in older days is in my opinion flawed. Sure your friend's kid could not follow instructions - there are grown men who would do the same. As counter point there are kids who can take an iPod and write custom firmware for it. Try that in ye olden days.

Biggins

Iris Great Orange wrote: »

20, 30, 50, 100 years ago people were worrying about the future of the youth. Funny enough the youth manage to make it through OK

Try this:

Socrates (469–399 B.C.)

Your rose tinted view that kids were smarter, more resourceful in older days is in my opinion flawed. Sure your friend's kid could not follow instructions - there are grown men who would do the same. As counter point there are kids who can take an iPod and write custom firmware for it. Try that in ye olden days.

Both good valid points (Appreciate you taking the time to reply also).

Never said anywhere though that I thought "kids were smarter, more resourceful in older days" although to be honest I'm starting to think that.

Shove a map in front of a teen that has been studding for five years and ask him/her to give you a grid reference point of any one place.
Could they all do it? Could the majority of them do it?
Stick them in a large forest with a map and a compass, leave them there and ask them to get home!
(even hand held GPS systems fail/batteries run out)

There will always the the rare clever folk that can take an iPod and write custom firmware for it, and fair play to them. Thank heavens for them.
The mental process they use in order to do just that is what I'm talking about ONLY.
They in their own minds have gone thorough the assessment stages, analysing stages, counter-action and inevitable reached a (hopefully) solution stage.
I see it less and less every day though, kids and teens not doing this process. Instead they just down tools, sit in a corner sulking, waiting around for someone else to work and use the brain cells for them.
As I've said thats fine in some cases but to do this consistently is not long term solution.
Sometimes we have to think for ourselves on a regular basis, not just wait more so for the answers from someone/somewhere else.

nyarlothothep

Biggins wrote: »

I think that for all the skills we have gained electronic-wise, we are losing just as much manual wise.
Brain cells are not being as used as much and being pushed to their limit as much any more.
The progression of the human race has slowed to snail pace.
When we had to get out there and physically look for answers, we appreciated them more and we learned what it was in values, to have sought for answers eventually in our hands.
...not we just turn on our laptops, etc.

Recently a number of states in the far east had their internet cut due to a breakage in the digital phone lines. Economies, stock exchanges, schools and other important functions came to a halt.

I fear we are too reliant on just one main source of answers.

I read that we use more areas of the brain in navigating the net and absorbing info from it than from reading a book.

Biggins

nyarlothothep wrote: »

I read that we use more areas of the brain in navigating the net and absorbing info from it than from reading a book.

Interesting. Honestly didn't know that (if true, have no reason to doubt you though).

Lirange

Biggins wrote: »

Sometimes we have to think for ourselves on a regular basis, not just wait more so for the answers from someone/somewhere else.

Of course this is not a question that began with the advent of the internet. There once was a time when most household items and utilities were hand crafted by someone in the family. People were more self sufficient, being artisans in the village or farmers living off the land. Reaping the value added benefits of others' knowledge kicked into hyper drive with the industrial revolution.

The internet doesn't just provide answers/solutions and by and large I don't believe it's the primary culprit that prevents people from thinking for themselves. You seem to be concerned that it will make people less resourceful. I don't believe this is any more correct than to suggest a library would make a person less resourceful. Since both are databases with access to knowledge.

Re: Map and compass example. Ignorance of directions, map reading, and orientation were already dismal. It was one of the reasons GPS became so useful. It was a definite need. Rather than instigating a problem it helped mitigate it.

The internet won't make people less resourceful. It will however make people fatter and lazier. The innate human need to get more done while doing less is the hog's teat of invention. You'll find that lazy people are often the most resourceful.

Holsten

Yes, 100%.

But I wub the internet!

Biggins

Lirange wrote: »

Of course this is not a question that began with the advent of the internet. There once was a time when most household items and utilities were hand crafted by someone in the family. People were more self sufficient, being artisans in the village or farmers living off the land. Reaping the value added benefits of others' knowledge kicked into hyper drive with the industrial revolution.

The internet doesn't just provide answers/solutions and by and large I don't believe it's the primary culprit that prevents people from thinking for themselves. You seem to be concerned that it will make people less resourceful. I don't believe this is any more correct than to suggest a library would make a person less resourceful. Since both are databases with access to knowledge.

Re: Map and compass example. Ignorance of directions, map reading, and orientation were already dismal. It was one of the reasons GPS became so useful. It was a definite need. Rather than instigating a problem it helped mitigate it.

The internet won't make people less resourceful. It will however make people fatter and lazier. The innate human need to get more done while doing less is the hog's teat of invention. You'll find that lazy people are often the most resourceful.

Food for thought. Some good points. Cheers.
I just worry, I'm a parent too!

SeekUp

Biggins wrote: »

Are we relying TOO much on the internet?
. . .
Could our younger offspring know how to survive in a less powered world?
Could they read maps, know how to get answers from actual paper books and libraries - would they bother or take the lazy way out?

My name is SeekUp, and I'm too dependent on the internet.

When it goes down, I'm fairly useless -- I can't find any phone number, I don't know where anything is located, I can't get directions, I can't get in touch with anyone, I can't find delicious recipes for an evening's dinner, I can't read boards, and if there's a dispute, I can't google for the correct answer.

But here's the thing . . . Why would I want to use the phone book when I can get a phone number online in half the time? Why would I spend more time collecting research from 80 different physical sources when I can get the same documents online with just a few clicks? If it came down to a true matter of survival, of course we could do without it. But for the love of God, why would we want to do things the hard way just for the sake of it?

*checks email*

galwayrush

Not too long ago, the television was to blame, we're just moving on and adapting.

BaconZombie

Is the fact that I got the shacks last night when boards went offline a bad thing...?

FruitLover

Biggins wrote: »

Long story short, I ran the cd, everything worked fine.
(He had just sat on his backside with the problem since Christmas morning, not seeking or thinking of how to solve his problem on his own!)

So in other words, by acting dumb, he conned you into doing all the work for him while he sat on his hole?

I'd like to subscribe to this kid's newsletter!

Biggins

FruitLover wrote: »

So in other words, by acting dumb, he conned you into doing all the work for him while he sat on his hole?

I'd like to subscribe to this kid's newsletter!

True (if he was clever - but you will have to trust me. This chap made forum member "Application" look like Einstein.)

phenomenon

Before internet:
-encyclopedias
-recording music off radio with cassette
-playboy
-socialising and talking face to face
-newspapers
-Dear Diary

After internet:
-Wikipedia
-illegally downloading mp3s
-countless porn sites
-facebook, bebo etc
-news online
-blogs

The internet won't make people less resourceful. It will however make people fatter and lazier. The innate human need to get more done while doing less is the hog's teat of invention. You'll find that lazy people are often the most resourceful.

Isn't this what mankind strives to achieve, to make life more comfortable? Dishwashers save us from standing over a sink for half an hour. If we didn't have tescos we'd still be out hunting wild animals and collecting berries from the trees. Let technology do the hard work

galwayrush

Then it's time i opened a chain of get fit gyms.:D

Biggins

galwayrush wrote: »

Then it's time i opened a chain of get fit gyms.:D

You must have lots of 'brains' to burn off then! :rolleyes:

galwayrush

Biggins wrote: »

You must have lots of 'brains' to burn off then! :rolleyes:

True, I blame Wine, the bringer of clarity.............:)

Biggins

galwayrush wrote: »

True, I blame Wine, the bringer of clarity.............:)

You looked that up on the net didn't you?

Somewhere you read lots of wine might make one brainier so one must drink it by the bucket load...
(it was either that or the top paper called "The Sun")

galwayrush

Biggins wrote: »

You looked that up on the net didn't you?

Somewhere you read lots of wine might make one brainier so one must drink it by the bucket load...
(it was either that or the top paper called "The Sun")

I discovered it the hard easy way..............:D

Biggins

galwayrush wrote: »

I discovered it the hard easy way..............:D

Your research in this field is outstanding. You deserve a medal for dedication alone to this area of science.
Keep studding and enjoy the results. Keep us updated later as to the working parameters of your still functioning brain.

galwayrush

Biggins wrote: »

Your research in this field is outstanding. You deserve a medal for dedication alone to this area of science.
Keep studding and enjoy the results. Keep us updated later as to the working parameters of your still functioning brain.

My research is important.:cool:
I need to apply for state funding soon, 45 euro for a decent bottle of Amarone FFS.:mad:

Biggins

galwayrush wrote: »

My research is important.:cool:
I need to apply for state funding soon, 45 euro for a decent bottle of Amarone FFS.:mad:

There you go, try the internet for cheaper pricing and funding options.
By seeking the above you have invalidated my supposed premises and parental worrying notion.

I congratulate you Sir. I am your humble servant.

:P lol

Gummy Panda

What i want to know is how come his ipod came with a disc?

My ipod and iphone didn't come with one! Had to use the internet to download itunes.

galwayrush

Biggins wrote: »

There you go, try the internet for cheaper pricing and funding options.
By seeking the above you have invalidated my supposed premises and parental worrying notion.

I congratulate you Sir. I am your humble servant.

:P lol

:D:D
I will try the Internet, seeing as the cursed thing caused my dependance on the good stuff in the first place.
Which brings an interesting angle to your original post, the internet... the cause and the solution to all of life's problems.. ( humble apology to Homer Simpson )

Biggins

Gummy Panda wrote: »

What i want to know is how come his ipod came with a disc?

My ipod and iphone didn't come with one! Had to use the internet to download itunes.

There was drivers and 2 applications with the Ipod.
One application was a library, cd ripper tool and music player for the computer.
The other I think (I didn't install it) was a tool for converting music formats.
The model was a new one (so he told me) and I'm not into Ipods so he could have been right.

galwayrush

Gummy Panda wrote: »

What i want to know is how come his ipod came with a disc?

My ipod and iphone didn't come with one! Had to use the internet to download itunes.

My old I-Pod came with a disc and a charger, the newer one didn't.