In this blog post, we will examine how the Internet and network society have affected human thinking and autonomy, and ponder what true intelligence is in this flood of information.
The world has undergone tremendous changes over the past two decades. An intangible yet vast new world—the metaverse (a world that transcends the physical reality but contains information about it)—has emerged. This is the internet, known as the World Wide Web. People began uploading unfiltered information from the real world to the metaverse in their own ways, and anyone could access that space anytime, anywhere, participate in what was happening there, and download information. The digital metaverse called the internet began to serve as a bridge connecting people in the real world. All that is needed for connection is login and search; no social skills (such as human courtesy toward others or making appointments to meet and ask questions) are required. This so-called “network” has drastically reduced the limitations on access to information and the costs associated with it. However, are the changes brought about by networks truly beneficial to people? Many changes in our lives have occurred due to our interest in information on networks and its active reflection in our lives, but are these changes truly leading us in a more rational and convenient direction? Furthermore, are the rationality and convenience brought about by the internet really better? In this article, we will examine and discuss several critical perspectives on these questions.
When we access the vast world of the internet through computers, smartphones, and tablets, we are faced with an enormous amount of choices regarding information. However, the more we surf the web, the more we lose our freedom of choice and freedom of thought. While we enjoy discovering new things, we also enjoy sharing things we have in common with many other people. As a result, the wide range of content available to us and the possibility of appreciating it and thinking about it in new ways are diminished. We neglect to seriously consider problems on our own and imagine how they might play out in the real world from multiple angles. Instead, we are tempted to find metadata about others’ snapshots of reality and opinions to easily solve problems. We then rationalize that since others have already solved these problems, there is no point in wasting time on them, and we become accustomed to taking the easy route.
Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, once claimed in an interview that “the answers to the future are on the internet,” and mentioned the global K-pop star Psy as an example. He analyzed Psy’s success factors as “unique strengths and a distinctive personality” based on his experience of meeting him in person. Another factor he highlighted was “internet culture.” Schmidt stated, “The internet constantly discovers new geniuses,” and predicted, “Since there are so many creative talents around the world, people who achieve even greater success than Psy will continue to emerge in the future.”
It is true that the internet, the most efficient information distribution technology in history, has enabled people like Psy, who have their own unique personalities and talents, to become known and recognized. However, did the internet actually create such people and inspire them? There have always been many talented people in the world, even before the internet. While it is true that more people have gained opportunities, it cannot be said that the internet itself has improved the quality of their inspiration and creative achievements. Furthermore, in cases like Psy, where a cultural phenomenon was sparked through a network, the limitations of the internet become evident. People enjoy sharing the same content, experiencing the same thoughts and emotions together. The “Gangnam Style” dance craze led by Psy is a prime example of this. However, content consumers become accustomed to so-called “content products” that are optimized for attracting attention, such as exciting and enjoyable experiences, clichéd and trite emotions of sadness, and other elements that are believed to be popular and appealing to the masses. This leads to a dullness toward active appreciation through deep thought and critical acceptance, as well as the production of new creative inspiration derived from such appreciation. While the internet is highly useful in terms of accessibility due to its ease of information distribution, it also has the power to immerse everyone in the same emotions and thoughts. The phenomenon of viewers being “synchronized” with such content and led by the emotions and thoughts intended by the creator has the effect of erasing our individual self-awareness. This phenomenon of spending time passively on entertainment and amusement is an aspect of the internet that cannot be ignored.
Second, we need to pay attention to the new communities that are emerging on the internet. We now live in a world where people with common interests and goals can easily meet online and exchange opinions and information, even if they live on opposite sides of the globe. As a result, there are countless communities in various fields, and it has become easier for individuals to develop their abilities and knowledge in their areas of interest. Furthermore, similar opinions on specific topics that were previously scattered have come together to form a powerful voice, leading to noticeable social changes and developments. In this way, the internet has excellently fulfilled its role of uniting people and opinions who wish to come together. However, it has also exacerbated conflicts between people with differing opinions. As it has become extremely easy for large numbers of people with similar views to gather and exchange opinions, unity within these communities has become very strong, but this has also led to frequent cases of exclusion of people outside the community. Recently, the problem of internet communities where absurd behavior has become commonplace has come to light. Many users are displaying extremely biased and violent reactions to political and social issues, and this behavior is spreading like an epidemic. Such communities can be seen as representative examples of internet communities that have lost their self-regulating function. Another example is the ignorant criticism of Christianity that floods online spaces. In the comments sections of portal sites like Naver and Daum, one often encounters people who, without understanding the religion, are swept up in mob mentality and use Christianity as a scapegoat to criticize unrelated issues. As such, the internet possesses the powerful ability to easily gather an unspecified number of people and share a single idea, but rather than producing normal and healthy criticism and discussion on social issues such as politics, religion, and gender, it often promotes division and conflict.
As we have seen, the internet, as a meta-world and network, has deeply penetrated our lives and holds the potential to exert various negative influences. We may lose our sense of agency and become addicted to passively consuming content, or our narrowed perspective within the internet may lead us to become immersed in the trends of specific communities, thereby losing our critical thinking abilities. At this point, we can ask ourselves a more serious question. Are the thoughts we have our own, or are they simply the assembled results of information within the network? Is the boundary between who the subject of thought is becoming blurred? We need to consider whether our very minds are being drawn into the internet. One thing is clear: efficiency is never an end in itself but merely a means to an end. We must constantly reflect on whether we are living as fish that navigate the waves of the network with our own will and purpose, rather than as grains of sand drifting aimlessly in the currents.
