Is The Internet Merely the New Television?

Just another shallow mind entertainment device?

Think about it?...hard.

First there was radio. Then TV came along and that became more popular. Now internet is here and is surpassing TV in many ways. Hell, you can even watch TV and listen to the radio on the internet.


So, yeah it is. I doubt many will argue that it is not "the new TV".

Not in my opinion. The internet is like the printing press and I would go as far as saying the developkent of a written language. I can speak to people on the otherside if the globe in an instant. I can find answers to kost of my questions. The sheer amiunt if information woukd take billions of lifetimes to discover. For some it is cheap entertainkent. Its all how you use it.

Adding that my computer is rather occupied at the moment and I have trouble typing with just thumbs.

reply to post by Domo1


Brilliant retort/reply.?

reply to post by Dr Expired


I already did.

It depends on what one uses it for. The internet should not be looked upon as simply a toy or medium for entertainment. The internet is the mark of something beautiful and grand. The internet is the first instance of human telepathy and knowledge amalgamation by way of technology. The internet is full of information, personalities, interests organizations, and ways of thought. The internet is the combined knowledge of man, being shared with man, by man. This is literally our first step towards becoming gods. Of course, the majority of the hairless apes will use it like an entertainment device, but others will understand its truer purpose.

Delving deeper into the idea that it connects on a level that we seek in imaginary beings, and objects of idol, we see what the internet can do for us. It goes beyond sharing knowledge and thought, but phases through into the territory of true empathy and understanding of one's fellow man. It is a tool, a mirror that allows one to see a new angle of their reflection that is the neighbor. Never before have we been able to share pictures, audio, and video at almost instantaneous speeds. Never before could individual meet and become friends as they make conversation upon rivers of light. Never before has man been able to truly look into the soul of one another and know that we are truly all one.

The internet is the beginning of our commonality, the herald to our ascension, and our own personal stairway to heaven. With it, we will progress and evolve faster than ever. We shall learn more, understand more, and Love more. With the internet, man has the capability of transforming and uplifting himself to see not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise.

The internet is the stepping stone on which man kind rises to thrive in unity. The internet is our key. The internet is the embodiment of the hope of man, all men, women, and children. The internet is the foundation to our salvation...

For people savvy enough, internet replaced TV a LONG time ago.

I have lately been viewing the internet as a form or digital consciousness. Never before (that we are aware of) has mankind been so interconnected with each-other. Its as close to a global consciousness as we are going to get for now.

Really the only thing a t.v and the internet have is that they are both viewed through rectangular (or square) boxes. So i see them as very different mediums. Otoh, if you only watch t.v shows on the internet than they become remarkably similar.

it really depends who is using it.

Originally posted by TheSparrowSings
I have lately been viewing the internet as a form or digital consciousness. Never before (that we are aware of) has mankind been so interconnected with each-other. Its as close to a global consciousness as we are going to get for now.

I seriously doubt that. The main difference between the internet and the local meeting place is it is much larger, well the internet makes it easier to put on a mask, that is a little more difficult in fact to face meetings. If you have the time, can you explain what "global consciousness" means? Why it would be good and what if everyone is wrong, which incidentally, has been known to happen. TY

man great post... been thinking about this for a while... gonna speak my mind a bit if that's cool....

basically, TV is nowhere near the beast it used to be. families and home leisure used to be really centered on television, even more so back when there were less stations and no DVR recordings or anything. i remember being in primary school (90s), how important it was to watch the simpsons at 6pm, then robot wars then blue peter or whatever. once every few weeks there would be a james bond movie or something on at a specific time that everyone would all watch at their respective homes before coming into school next day to eagerly discuss the show/movie, or bitch about bedtime occurring before the second commercial break or whatever... man i sound like a crusty old fk and i'm only 21....

anyway, the point is, that consensus doesn't exist anymore. the internet has given people the power to chose their own entertainment. there's this new 'internet culture' particularly inherent in the younger generations, i caught the back end of it being a teen in the 'myspace years'. but basically if one puts the hours in, you can become 'good' at the internet. bear with me, it's shocking how many 10-11 year old kids there are who are active on the internet (sites such as reddit/luelinks/4chan etc). where no information is censored, where 'internet culture' has provided basically an entire education system that moves with the same kind of fast paced and vacuous ebb and flow as hollywood or the new york fashion.

i'm not saying it's messed up or wrong, generally speaking most of the users on the above sites seem like really smart people and not a 'bad influence' in the way older generations might like to think, but really the internet has taken away the need for actual parenting or any life lessons in general. with TV culture, everyone was on the same page. maybe if you were rich you could afford a few extra channels on cable or whatever but basically every person who sat down to watch tv at any given time in the same country, would watch the same things.

it's so easy to see why no information is reliable nowdays, and also why every fking kid in the whole of america is being diagnosed with ADD or OCD or ADHD or some rubbish and can't sit through a class or a movie without adderall. they're unable to concentrate on menial tasks because the internet is literally so entertaining that after having used it for a certain period of time other things in life just seem less interesting and therefore harder to concentrate on.

not making much sense here i know, but it's really clear to me in my head. i think the internet is a huge step towards technology outliving humanity. if you ever feel like losing faith in the entire human race, go on youtube and read some of the comments on any random video and you'll see what i mean.

I like your post OP and was actually just talking to someone abou this the other day. Im also glad to see other members expressing the opinion that the internet is giving us a global voice or conciousness. Pretend twocountries are at war. The people of each dont understand and are able to express that to eachother. Perhaps things will change. Tome the internet highlights mankinds ability to overcome our differences. Communication is always key. We now live in a time where everyone has a voice. I think this will be remembered forever and will be seen as a turning point. Good thread.

reply to post by TheOneElectric


Yeah what this guy said! I was going to write something similar, however didn't contain a fraction of the elegance you spoke or rather typed. For some reason I have caught the dumb tonight without doing any of the fun. Its sad really.


Any who, to reiterate what this fine chap said the Internet is way more than that of a t.v. Its global communication on a grand scale. I wouldn't be surprised if it played a role in or next step in evoultion. The ability to be connected to all the knowledge of mankind and to be able to communicate with a vast majority of it was utter science fiction not to long ago. In fact its still viewed that way, gravity of this creation still hasn't hit the minds of most people. As we speak right now we are all together from different corners of the world compiling and sharing information with each other and sharing thoughts and ideas, were it will be stored here.

Not to mention how organic the Internet is with other technology. People carry around in their pockets a device not only capable of communicating with nearly anyone but can be used to access the Internet with nearly of humanity knowledge on it.

Oh and the art and music and impact it has had on culture? What this is is no mere idiot box my friend.

reply to post by Malcher


Truthfully, the poster 2 posts above my original post, "TheOneElectric", was able to eloquently phrase what I am referring to when I said global consciousness. This member has explained it better than I could ever. And I did say that the internet is the closest form we could have right now but it is definitely not the pinnacle. I would hope the pinnacle is something more like our ability to just think and co-create.

reply to post by TheOneElectric


WOW! Why all the crap in your post? If you're getting paid per character please cue me in to those venue's!

Yes the internet is the new TV.

It's also the new encyclopedia and thesaurus too!

Until the gigantic EMP "PULSE" beam from China, N Korea or where-ever takes everything out. And we'll be right back to the dark ages. No Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, internet, phones...wait now!.

That may be a blessing.

Originally posted by Domo1

This is true. The single biggest difference between the Internet and TV, is that material production is not centralised. Because of that, you can to some extent post what you want; and that in turn also means that you can read what you want, as well.

Of course, if you WANT to watch brain dead, mindless rubbish, you can do that as well; YouTube is saturated in it. The difference, however, is that you get to choose whether you watch lolcats, or whether you download Euclid's manuals on geometry or Shakespeare from Project Gutenberg. It's up to you.

Originally posted by TheSparrowSings
reply to post by Malcher

 

Truthfully, the poster 2 posts above my original post, "TheOneElectric", was able to eloquently phrase what I am referring to when I said global consciousness. This member has explained it better than I could ever. And I did say that the internet is the closest form we could have right now but it is definitely not the pinnacle. I would hope the pinnacle is something more like our ability to just think and co-create.

edit on 5/1/2012 by TheSparrowSings because: (no reason given)

I saw the post and it was a good job explaining it. Nevertheless, you still have groups that will not change and that is understandable. What i am seeing is people seem even less likely to develop their own opinions, their own insights into things. One old saying that i never forget is "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and the shame of that is that more often than not the squeaky wheels are complete or near complete imbeciles.

One example that comes to mind is Adolf Hitler. Here we have a madman, well a medical term would be someone with a mental defect, was fired up on speed, and people listened to his crap because he had a lot to say. Never really considering that it was wrong.

reply to post by litterbaux


100 bucks a word. You'd be amazed at what the Illuminati pays for these days.

Originally posted by TheSparrowSings
I have lately been viewing the internet as a form or digital consciousness. Never before (that we are aware of) has mankind been so interconnected with each-other. Its as close to a global consciousness as we are going to get for now.

I totally agree.

Google translates our poorly phrased queries and somehow opens to us a world of information and almost always what we want.

Is Google an AI?

If not, will it be likely to become one?

Our guide and librarian around a vast library of experience and imagination.

I can speak today to someone on the other side of the planet, even though we actually speak and write different languages, all because of the services mediated by the Internet.

When I was a child, that capability could not even be foreseen.

TPTB want to make it just another media outlet but already, all their misanthropic attempts are failing or have already failed.

Knowledge wants to be free.

Deny ignorance.

You own the internet.