Do you think the internet was a good or bad thing in giving everyone a voice?

Question

In the old days, the only opinions you would read would usually be from newspaper editors, world leaders, authors, and other intellectuals who made a career out of writing. With the invention of the internet, everyone's opinion can be shouted across the world, and it is not always a good thing. Take Youtube comments for example. What do you guys think?

gumbydafish · Accepted Answer

I think it's both actually. It does allow for faster spread of information not only across the US, but across the world as well. However it allows people to hide behind a username, providing a sense of anonymousity. This allows people to be more quick to speak how they feel, regardless of how helpful or harmful it is. A few examples of these Dynamics include online support groups vs online bullying, Faster sales and easier access to miscellaneous items through Amazon, while allowing the underground exchange of illegal drugs and things I'd rather not talk about through the means of the dark web. Overall it's how well you are able to handle the knowledge that with good and well intended things such as the web can be used with darker intentions.

NatashaJ · Accepted Answer

I think it's a good thing but I am tired of people getting offended over dumb shit. I think we all can agree it's ridiculous at this point. If I'm not saying offensive shit or illegal shit then I should be able allow to say anything I want. People who are offenders (what I call them) tend to get offend then go and keep spamming fuck up posts to offend the person they are mad at. Trying to make the person feel horrible for what they said but it's okay for them to call someone ugly, to kill themselves, their mom should had abort you etc. I think anyone who acts like this should get ban because they clearly don't know how to be a decent human being.

e-Ghost · Accepted Answer

I think the problem is not the internet. The problems were always been there, in the society, are and always will be. The internet only "help" those problems being archived & well documented. The danger, if any, is human tendency to maintain group mentality (likes, hype, followers, ratings, views, etc.) which is easily manipulated into a mobster like echo chamber force. This particular "danger" has been, and still is, exploited by some countries in modern day economic war.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

It's a double edge sword. The internet is a democratizing technology which is generally good. The bad is it's given a megaphone to idiots, racists, propagandists, and conspiracy theorists - in other words, half the idiots on gag.

Dinoraptor101 · Answer

The internet is the greatest achievement of the human species, it allowed all opinions and voices to come together but it also consequently revealed and merged all human classes into one big muddy soup... The intelligencia layer is harmed by this but the idiots are educated now that they have access to knowledge and people previously privy only to that class. The internet did not make humans terrible. The terrible humans always existed but now they cannot be avoided and have to either be blocked or fixed.

The internet identifies the human problem and with it people who grow up basing their lives of it become better people that those growing up basing their life off the ghetto or drug mom or violent dad they have.

The intelligencia is getting sick of it and starting to deploy censorship and filtering hoping to separate the knowledge layer away from the terrible layer and then shut down the borders. I've ran VRW simulations on this and it exactly happens like that... Future internet will be whitelisted based on your parents, or college you attend. The public internet is turning into a huge sht show and it's a matter of time that it becomes less profitable for companies to invest into. And rather invest in the intelligent nets.

It's unavoidable so the terrible people have to get their act straight quickly and join collages or privy access to get on the whitelist.

supercutebutt · Answer

I kinda always thought the internet was bad and scary but I legit thought it was cuz terrorists from the Middle East could communicate with each other and coordinate attacks easier. Turns out that we need to worry about our own American citizens just as much, if not more. Dumbass Trumptards can form chat rooms to scheme together and encourage each other to do horrific things like kill Mexicans or Jewish people or set up tiki torch marches around statues while screaming fucked up things and running people over with their cars.

I really think our world is doomed. 40 to 50% of the humans on this planet are evil assholes. It's only a matter of time before everything explodes.

madgoat · Answer

Internet usage patterns by common users, and the regulation behind it are both very new and immature.
Noone knows where this is leading.
In theory, it's a new order of engagement by users with the entire world that may lead to national and world wide consensus and circumvent governments and commercial forces.
In practice, I am wholly unimpressed by twitter mobs, Internet platform dogma, and suspect Google and other largely unregulated platform owners will subtlety skew users in a new form of control, perhaps backed by government and commerce.

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

Yes the old days people would give good opinions now days
you see so much hate , rudeness , people don't care who they hurt
as long as they saying what's on their mind but you ask yourself
we all know there is freedom of speech but how far can one go
that it would be considered hate speech. People don't believe me
but that day when Donald Trump came down on that escalator and
made that announcement he was running for President i thought to
myself Hillary Clinton didn't have chance in hell to win he wiped the
whole map with winning electoral college votes. Now he will have a
battle to flip them states again and convince the people he will make
a difference well the economy is doing good and jobs are good but
down in Kentucky the Coal Miners are pissed off at him and Joe Biden
so he will need to convince Kentucky people he will get the Coal Miners
back to work.

Unit1 · Answer

I love the internet for opening the eyes for everyone as it allowed us to see, that we were fed biased lies through the media and news stations. We can see the lies the government and the government controlled mass media tosses at us. I said goodbye completely to television back in 2010. I get my information from the global network since then.

However the internet is a double edged sword and is used to massively spy on absolutely everyone limitless, so in essence a breach of personal privacy.

The internet is an opened pandora's box and nothing can truly shut it down. Except the lack of electricity.

Youtube's comment section is full of lousy teenagers arguing over the internet, whose vocabulary is strictly limited to insults. The intelligent people hang out elsewhere.

SueAnon84 · Answer

I think it's a GREAT thing! Who ever decided that only the opinions of the journalists, writers, autobiographers, etc. where the only ones that counted or made known! What if their opinions were biased, discriminatory, bad etc, made to specifically and indirectly INFLUENCE certain populations and it wasn't the GOOD kind of influence? !

BattleKitten77 · Answer

Opionions are like assholes they say but here is another one. I think it is good and bad. I think it gave a select few too much power.
The other side of the coin is now everyone now thinks they are a celebrity and their opinion is worth way more than it really is

Spiritwander · Answer

I think it cuts both ways; on one hand, you can actually read how bad things have gotten, and on the other, you can dwell on it and find *any* comment a person made once upon a time and take it completely out of context...

In other words, in the greater scheme of things, it really doesn't matter.
You could have substituted the words "global mental pacifier" and we'd be having the same convo.

Craftsman · Answer

Freedom of speech and the freedom to speak is wonderful. Unfortunately too many people, in my opinion, engage the mouth or fingers before engaging the brain, and that can lead to quite a plethora of opinions that make no sense. One can, however, wade through the dross and find some interesting commentary with which to spark thinking and growth.

Wolframium · Answer

I still don't get, why tech is being blamed for how shitty people are. Like…WTF?
No, tech is not the problem. Stupid people are. And you cannot spot stupid idiot by color of their skin, in case of 'Murican politics R or D infront of their name or any superfitial trait like that.

bangyourhead · Answer

Overall good but we’re going through a bad time right now. Humans are having to evolve and adapt to this new technology and we’re currently like bratty teenagers.

Anonymous · Answer

It's a good and bad thing. There is a lot more insanity, bad advice, etc. to filter through and people are getting a little crazy with their opinions trying to stand out since now everyone has access to a platform to do so, but there's also access to more information and opinions.

Ellie-V · Answer

I think everyone should be heard as long as they do not incite violence.
Hearing the opinions of a select, educated group is fine if that’s what you want but that should not be the only option for everyone.

Pulimuli · Answer

Mostly good because now everyone with internet access can look for information themselves and make their own judgement for good or bad

When only newspapers and tv existed those in charge would decide which story would be printed or angled

Ofcourse internet has some bad sides to it but i think the good outweigh the bad

marcelvn · Answer

I think long term people will become less susceptible for opinions of other people. I think it is a good think everybody can express themselfs and share there opinions. It also gives more transparancy.

purplepoppy · Answer

The real problem is now we have countless people passing themselves off as experts. Want to give medical advice? No need to pass exams just set up a youtube channel. The problem isn't everyone has a voice, it's we don't know who to listen to anyone

andreasderjuengere · Answer

Humans always babbled their irrelevant contributions into the environment. Earlier it had been pubs, 'Speaker's Corners', pulpits or diary books only. Now we have an additional tool.
Different day - same shit.

goaded · Answer

It can be good and bad. There's no way you would hear about getting money out of politics in the USA from the corporations that run all the adverts that are being paid for. On the other hand: the lunacy that is QAnon.

BCA6010 · Answer

It's a mixed bag because it allows for both accurate and inaccurate information to be disseminated equally, so it's only as good/bad as the people who use it.

Sensmind · Answer

You are correct that it is not always a good thing but as you say it has given everyone the platform to speak not just the lucky or the elite

MajesticTwelve · Answer

Giving the voice is great and one of the truly amazing parts of what the internet is, trying now to censor that voice? Terrible.

Bárbara1402 · Answer

Its a way of having another perspective of things and not believing only in what you see in the media and the information they want to give you

StephenCF · Answer

It’s a good thing for giving everybody a voice, but a bad thing that the wrong and most dangerous voices are being listened to, not just ridiculed or ignored 😰😰😰

TheKack · Answer

Both. Everyone has the chance to speak their mind now, which is great. But there are a lot or people that are stupid enough that you always wish they wouldn't.

jirwin7979 · Answer

its a double edged sward... it makes finding info easy but it also can cause harm via social media.. im not saying all social media is bad cuse i use it also but there are bad people out there that do harm

WintersDaughter · Answer

Bad, because it doesn't give everyone a voice. Many are being censored for views.

Massageman · Answer

There's a big difference between giving your opinion and having the government shove it down every one else's thoughts.

John_Doesnt · Answer

It's good for giving out free education, but it's bad because it gives idiots and conservatives a voice.

SirRexington · Answer

A good thing. It alows everyone to express themselves abd debate ideas. Democracy requires people discuss, bring forward and argue.

Jamie05rhs · Answer

Overall it's a good thing. Sure, there are crazies out there, but that's just part of the package you get. I will still take free speech over censorship any day of the week.

LMNOP123 · Answer

It's more annoying than anything else. We all have to put up with annoyances anyway.

Cuppo_Mode · Answer

Person: *plays video games* Media: oh dam, it's a maniac, he's gonna go beserk any second now.

Yessir12 · Answer

No. Most social media sites have rules and regulations like GAG. You can get banned for spewing racist views.

Kezzz · Answer

Depends on how you use it. Use it well and the possibilities of doing good are endless Missuse it and we're all damned. So far I think it's in balance

Inquisidor · Answer

It's the best thing that could happen to the humanity... Thanks to it a lot of lies are being found

ImJustCurious13 · Answer

Everyone has a voice, but it's your option to listen to it.

WTFever · Answer

No, because the majority of those voicing their opinions, are fucking uninformed morons.

Who_is_Q · Answer

More so good. But a voice was never taken away from US

megaman242 · Answer

To give a crazy person a gun is a bad thing, same with internet. There should be a type of filter out there.

Vallius86 · Answer

It is neither good nor bad. It is simply a tool and tools can be used for good or evil.

Liam_Hayden · Answer

Good. Those who can express rather than be repressed are far less likely to explode.

Shamalien · Answer

The best thing the world has ever seen, without a doubt

standardguy · Answer

The problem are not more voices but ears hearing to the wrong voices.

PoohBoy38 · Answer

I think it was a very good thing in giving everyone a voice. So I don't waste a lot of time!

selfdestruction · Answer

Good! The bad thing is some fee those voices should be silenced

rohit83 · Answer

Its good to explore but at same time if using in wrong way then it is totally bad

Lord_unicorn · Answer

Depends on how it's used honestly like all tools it depends on the user.

itsmeamy · Answer

Whats a newspaper? Lol

ForteExe · Answer

I think it's horrible.

sp33d · Answer

Who's this everyone with a voice?

heavymetalbrotha · Answer

Its makes it a lot easier the identify crazy bs

yourfavperson · Answer

good because it also gave the block button

gaguser150 · Answer

i think the internet can be good and bad at times

Anonymous · Answer

It would be better if it were men only

Justbeyouandbehappy_ · Answer

I think it’s both.

beennut · Answer

Always good

Anonymous · Answer

it is good for me :) good luck in hell retards

justcurious2019 · Answer

Good thing

mermaidia_lol · Answer

Good thing.

Joker_ · Answer

good thing

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