Has the internet made you more aware of what really goes on in the world?

[burner1]

Just wondered if other people have come to realise that we've been fed so much biased shite over the decades by our media and government and things aren't as 'simple' or one sided as they would have us believe in decades gone by?

Before the internet, I guess most of what we would generally know about world events (or even what was happening in our own country) was from either the mainstream British media or even our own parents.. who had an opinion of their own which was again based on what they read in the media and how they perceived it. I remember as a kid believing anyone with an Irish accent on the UK mainland was probably a terrorist - ignorant I know, but when you're a young lad, it's easier to be 'persuaded' into believing such things.

Now we live in an age of what seems like a plethora of information that gives more than one side to many political points and agendas.. I know there's even an element of bias in this sort of info, but if you cut through the crap it's definitely more complex than we have generally been led to believe in the past.

Personally, I think the Internet's been a positive attribute. Not only has it opened my eyes to much more than I would have or could have learnt without it, it's given a lot of people the chance to have 'discussions' on so many issues and I've learnt a lot regarding opposing views to my own which I've also learnt from.

[Spennyboy]

Other side of the coin is people using the internet for wide spread interpretation of the facts to their own agenda which is then accepted and multiplied by the weak minded as truth because they 'read it on the internet'.

[burner1]

Other side of the coin is people using the internet for wide spread interpretation of the facts to their own agenda which is then accepted and multiplied by the weak minded as truth because they 'read it on the internet'.

I do agree mate, hence I said cutting through the crap but I get your point, some people are easily fooled and the internet is simply an extension for their delusions.

[Fon]

Now you understand why murdoch was such a powerful man, and every politician wanting to be in his pocket!

Fon

[CzarJunkie]

Other side of the coin is people using the internet for wide spread interpretation of the facts to their own agenda which is then accepted and multiplied by the weak minded as truth because they 'read it on the internet'.

That's actually the Internet's strength in that it allows different opinions to be voiced alongside the mainstream media. The 'weak minded' as you describe them, only had access to a limited number of news outlets before the Internet. So, your argument fails because the 'weak minded' would have believed anything they were told by the mainstream media.

Now we have a multitude of sources of information and what you do with that information is up to the individual. Governments, Corporations and other powerful organisations have never been questioned like they have since the birth of the Internet and that can only be a good thing.

The biggest danger we have is government and corporate take over of the Internet. This has slowly been happening over the last decade and with online censorship we're seeng an erosion of the free exchange of information. Look at what has happened to the likes of Julian Assange, Kim Dotcom and Pirate Bay to see how Governments and Corporations are aggressively attacking the free dissemination of information.

No one fears information more than those in power. Because, and I know its a modern cliche, but information is power.

[Geko]

The short answer is Yes.

[Teajunkie]

It's certainly given my left arm a good workout.
Before the Internet I relied on finding porno mags in the local park.

But it's spread ped0philes dirty scumbag bastards availability to child porn and even helped them group together.

[cronus71]

I don't have any facts to back this up, but I would think that the weak minded would be younger people, I could imagine them being more easily persuaded to believe things they read on FB and similar media. But I still believe it's the adults who do bad things on the internet, not so much the kids.

To me, news, events, topics of discussion are like writing an academic paper, you collect the information you need, and then draw your own conclusion. Your conclusion is never really a fact, just your opinion at that point in time.

Pre-internet I of course tended to believe what I saw on the news, read in the papers and discussed with other people. All those are still valid sources of information, which should help you draw your own conclusions and opinions, "the Google" is of course the best one and the others are just a sideshow in my opinion.

Asia, Africa and Middle-East have the lowest penetration percentage of internet access per capita, so there, most people would still rely on what we used as news sources in the past. I don't see it as a good thing, as it's easy for a Kim or Amin to manipulate their countrymen.

Internet = Good

[Teajunkie]

I don't have any facts to back this up, but I would think that the weak minded would be younger people, I could imagine them being more easily persuaded to believe things they read on FB and similar media. But I still believe it's the adults who do bad things on the internet, not so much the kids.

A good example: my three daughters 12 14 and 17 read on Facebook you had to be 18 to purchase anything from McDonald's in Exeter as a new anti obese campaign that would stop children buying junk food.

My wife couldn't believe it even after I said bullshit she still went to the local McDonald's to ask if that was true and even the staff said they had heard that but were unsure if it was truest not!

it wasn't true but just goes to show how easy it is to fool young people.

[Geko]

A good example: my three daughters 12 14 and 17 read on Facebook you had to be 18 to purchase anything from McDonald's in Exeter as a new anti obese campaign that would stop children buying junk food.

My wife couldn't believe it even after I said bullshit she still went to the local McDonald's to ask if that was true and even the staff said they had heard that but were unsure if it was truest not!

it wasn't true but just goes to show how easy it is to fool young people.

That's not young people, it's dumb people.

I see the same things spread on my facebook page. People posting warnings about stuff that isn't true. People don't think. They get scared by the "chain letter" on facebook and pass it on. There are tons of them. My son, who is 12, shares them all the time. I then take the piss out of him for a few days. Hopefully, I can bully the dumb from him.