Is the internet making us a hive mind?

a reply to: darkbake

We could be great if the hive mind was directed by love and light. Unfortunately right now it is materialism, internet meme thinking, time wasting, worker bee work type of programming, mob mentality, derp. Whats that Bill Hicks comment? we could be traversing the universe inside and out

a reply to: darkbake

Not all of us think with the hive mind mentality. I read and take in a vast amount of info from the internet and store it in my brain (memory) and retrieve it from there whenever I'd like. Just like when I read a book.
As far as being critiqued or hopping on a bandwagon, I could care less and often go against that grain (I'm pretty well known for doing so) speaking my OWN mind.
Is there a study on the reverse version of hive mind?

I try to avoid relying on the internet, but I am increasingly becoming more and more attached to it.

It is most noticeable when it comes to directions to places. I moved around a lot throughout my life and I was always able to map cities, towns, and even rural woods in my head to navigate them, but I found myself relying on my phone gps to get me around more and more. It has gotten to the point where I would be completely lost if someone dropped me off on the opposite side of town with no phone. I no longer bother putting street names to memory because my phone just tells me where to go.

What will the future be like for humans? Does access to the internet free up brain power that can be used for "more important" things, or does it dumb us down because we ultimately know nothing on our own without the internet?

Are we evolving or devolving?

a reply to: darkbake

Is the internet making us a hive mind?

No, it is promoting greater disagreement and irascibility among us.

It may, however, be turning itself into a hive mind.

The Spiritual Power of the Humble Bee

Here is something a little more substantial, as well as credible.

It is, however, highly speculative. What I like about it most is that it shows the power of the multidisciplinary imagination. In any case, all biological sensory mechanisms known to me are quantum devices on a fundamental level.

The idea that honeybees may perceive a world that seems nothing at all like the one we perceive is hardly new, either. All living entities perceive different worlds, though these worlds are all based on the same underlying reality.

I'll keep on speculating here - are we going to split into two species as half of the people get left behind acting like normal humans while the other half "ascend" to the Hive Mind?

Quite possibly, but I view the split differently. It is we ‘left behind’ humans (I shall take care to be among them) who will go on evolving and inherit whatever destiny awaits our species. The 'hive mind' will either die out of its own accord or be put out of its misery. Hopefully this will be achieved through simple disconnection, without undue suffering or loss of life among its formerly human components.

originally posted by: primespickle
a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Even if we have always somewhat been this way, we were never fully connected like we are now. Since our connectedness is using computer technology, does this mean we are now posthuman? Our knowledge no longer being stored in our minds, but in computers that we view as synonymous with "mind"?

Yes to both of these, I think those are very strong possibilities as a psychology graduate.

a reply to: Substracto

I would argue that it is important to consider the way in which most people are able to use the internet, not just the concept of what the internet can offer exists.

If services like Facebook are most popular then democracy will suffer severely because they condition users to accept only ideas, thoughts, opinions, etc., that are similar to their own. Your entire social needs can be taken care of online with a small group of like-minded individuals. Before the internet, our social needs were met in a society comprised of people with differing opinions, ideas, and way of life (more or less).

I freaking love your speculation & it totally makes sense with a lot of things I like to believe in.