Topic:

The shift in the amount of knowledge readily available to us caused by the internet, and the
effects that this shift is having.

Audience/Media Outlet:
The media outlet for this work would be Wired magazine. The audience of this magazine is tech
savvy individuals who are up to date with the latest technology and understand internet culture.
They are also generally well informed about the world and current events.

Purpose:
To bring attention to the advantages and disadvantages of the internet and the information it
holds. Also to get people to realize that something needs to be done to regulate the internet.

Genre:
Magazine article/ editorial.

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Kyle Brown
Mrs. Pisani Babich
English 137H
6 November 2014
A World Wide Web of Problems
If you were to be asked who was the 24th president of the United States, what would you
say? Or rather, what would you do? Chances are that you would reach into your pocket, pull out
your phone, and "google it". In less than one minute you will be able to tell me that it was Grover
Cleveland. Now, 40 years ago if I were to ask someone who the 24th president was, they would
either quickly respond with Grover Cleveland, or more likely with "I don't know", or perhaps "I
would have to check the library." Therefore in the last half century, there has been a shift in the
way we search for information, and how quickly we can get it. But perhaps what is more
interesting is the depth and breadth of the knowledge which we now hold in our fingertips. This
expanse of knowledge, made possible by recent innovations in technology, has the potential to
have both profound positive and negative effect, and needs to be regulated so that it can aid in
the betterment of society as opposed to aiding in its destruction.
The cause of this shift in the sheer volume of knowledge immediately available to us
directly resulting of these innovations in technology, and mainly, the internet. The internet is, put
simply, a gigantic collection of networks that are all connected together. And a network is
essentially a group of devices all connected to one another. Therefore the internet is a way of
connecting every device to every other device, and because there is a person behind every one of
those devices, the internet connects everyone to everyone else. It provides us all access to the
same information, and also provides us with a way of communicating instantaneously with

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anyone on the planet. This means that when you look up the answer to a question, you are not
just finding it in some magical cloud, but you are virtually connecting to someone else, and
getting the answer from them. It is this instantaneous communication that is having a subtle, yet
important effect on our society. It was October 24, 1995 when the term "Internet" was officially
defined ("Brief History of the Internet"). And now, merely 19 years later more than 63% of those
18 and older as well as three quarters of the teenage population use the internet (Madden). Even
my grandparents that once mocked me for always being on my computer now have an iPad that
they use daily. With a technology that is affecting every individual in such a tremendous way, it
is no wonder that we are beginning to see distinct effects on society as a whole.
Perhaps the most beneficial of these effects is the increasing adoption of a globally
accepted worldview. Since everyone has access to the same videos, and the same information
about what is going on in the world, they will eventually come to the same conclusions about
that information, resulting in a "set of commonly accepted thoughts values, deeds and emotions
espoused by an increasing number of people" (Chareonwongsak). Furthermore anyone who may
oppose these ideas will be alienated by the majority. This is the same thing that happens in a
small group of people, except the process is accelerated exponentially by the internet. This
phenomenon could serve to better our society, by decreasing the gap of understanding between
groups of people from different backgrounds. Taken to the extreme it could potentially result in
the unification of our entire world under the same core set of beliefs. This seems quite unlikely,
but just look at the shift in viewpoints on a topic such as same-sex marriage. Twenty years ago it
was almost unanimously unaccepted, but now one would be committing social suicide by
standing opposed to it. This whole process of sharing ideas will lead to unification and create
new worldviews that will "become the building blocks of future societies"

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(Chareonwongsak).Therefore the internet creates an unprecedented way to unite people under
common beliefs, and allow them all to move forward together.
This being said, it is important to note that this knowledge also provides the ability for
increased individuality, sometimes at the expense of society. This large availability of knowledge
allows any individual to become informed on important issues in our society. It also provides
them with the information that is necessary for them to form their own opinions on the issue.
Although they will likely be swayed to agree with the prevailing "politically-correct" opinion,
they will be able to find supporters of their ideas regardless. What this means, is that anyone can
find a group that supports their beliefs and will even help nourish it. This can be great for the
individual, but may be harmful for society as a whole. For example any emotional teenager with
a radical idea can easily find a terrorist website and be further radicalized into a terrorist
themselves. According to a August 16th, 2014, Washington Times article, the United States is
currently "tracking and gathering intelligence on as many as 300 Americans who are fighting
side by side with the militant group ISIS" in Iraq and Syria (Ybarra). This illustrates how this
technology can also allow for the emergence and growth of ideas harmful to the advancement of
our society.
This fact creates the dilemma that we, as a society are faced with everyday, how do we
regulate this technology. The internet is not owned by anyone, so it cannot simply be shut down,
and it cannot be censored as that is a violation of an individual's right to share their ideas. Thus it
is very difficult to find an acceptable solution, and it is for this reason that the issue is being
mainly ignored. The internet is extremely powerful, and it has the potential to greatly accelerate
the advancement of our society. However if there is no one to regulate it and help steer users in

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the proper direction, it is likely to spawn more radical groups, and halt our progress. It is a
crucial issue, that will become increasingly important to answer as we move into the future.
Over the past half century there has been an unprecedented shift in the amount of
information available to us. This coupled with the availability to quickly share that information is
allowing us to make huge progressions in solving social issues. However, it is also beginning to
create new ones that are unnecessary and serve only to slow down global advancement. This is
an issue that will not stop if left unchecked, but it can certainly be controlled if we all unite and
come up with an agreeable way to regulate the internet. The internet gains its power through its
ability to unite people, so if we too are able to do this, we can gain the power to move our society
forward, and create a better world for everyone in it. So the next time you pull out your phone,
think about what you use it for, and all the things everyone else could use it for as well.

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Works Cited
"Brief History of the Internet." Internet Society. The Internet Society, 2014. Web. 5 November
2014.
Chareonwongsak, K. "Globalization and technology: how will they change society?" Technology
in Society 24 (2002) 191-206. Web. 1 November 2014.
Madden, Mary. "America's online Pursuits." Pew Internet & American Life Project. Pew Internet
& American Life Project, 2003. Web. 1 November 2014.
Ybarra, Maggie. "U.S. Citizens joining Islamic State pose major threat to homeland." The
Washington times. The Washington Times, LLC, 26 August 2014. Web. 1 November
2014.