Philosophy 101D

The internet has revolutionized how humans are able to interact with one another.  It has changed business, communication, teaching methods, and much, much more.  However, Dreyfus points out some flaws in the internet that could have possible negative implications. I would like to focus on a few on these topics.

Dreyfus points out that the internet may lead to isolation and depression. This makes me think of online internet games such as World of Warcraft and Everquest. I have actually seen te effects of these types of games. A close friend of mine has a broter who is obsessed with these online games. He literally spends hours of his day sitting around playing on the computer. He does not have a job and is being supported by his family. I believe this is the type of result of the internet that Dreyfus wants to point out when he says people may become isolated and depressed because of the internet. The lack of personal communication is also very evident here. My friend’s brother, we’ll call him “Mike”, does not have any friends outside of those e knows via these online games and a select number of oter individuals who are also obsessed with these games. South Park does an excellent job protraying the point that Dreyfus tries to make here about isolation. All of the characters become obsessed with the game and do nothing but play WoW. Even the characters get together and play, the isolate themselves from their friends and family. They become completely unaware of their enviornment just so they can continue to play. An extreme example, yet it does ring true in reality for certain individuals.  

Even though people are able to talk with other people in the game either through typing or special headsets, it does not equal the personal communication that one receives when speaking face to face with another person. Non-verbal  communication and body language can ave much more profound meanings than the words that people type or say outloud. So much of the intended message can be missed because of this limit to interpersonal communication. AIM is another example of how the message one is trying to convey can be misinterpreted because you cannot tell the tone and body language that someone may have used when speaking to you in person.

I am not saying that the internet is evil by any means. The internet also has its many upsides. People are able to instantly communicate with one another from all over the globe. This can help avoid isolation. The soldiers who are in the Middle East are able to jump on the internet and send an email to their loved ones or send an IM when they are not in combat. The internet is a great way to keep people connected when people are sepearated by distance.

Dreyfus also discusses this topic of online disinhibition. I think this is a major issue with the internet. An example would be the show on NBC called Dateline: To Catch a Predator, in which the show sets up sexual predators.  These people would not have spoken to these underage children if they were face to face with them. The predators know the consequences of their actions, but because they are on the internet in a chat room, they feel they are able to manipulate the child and not get caught in the process. This is exactly what Dreyfus is talking about when discussing the online disinhibition effect.