Autodidacticism via the Internet

[Off Topic]
First of I would just like to say a warm hello to all ATS members.Seeing that this is my first post please don't go so hard on me.

[On Topic]
Well the thread title is pretty self-explanatory.In case you don't know what autodidacticism is please refer to Wikipedia .Just wanted to see some opinions about how the Internet helped you in your quest for knowledge.My personal opinion is that the Internet is just amazing,you have huge amounts of knowledge to learn,to explore, all at the tip of your fingertips.It helped me a lot,before I was very troubled,low self-confidence,no people skills,etc.That all changed until I found a plethora of self-help info,books and all sorts of information and managed to get back on the straight path .My life has radically changed since then.What are your experiences with the internet and what effect did it had on you?

Hi haiducul69, welcome to ATS.

I would say that the Internet has decreased my attention span. I've always been self-driven to educate myself, and seek out knowledge. The Internet is a valuable medium for that, but there's sometimes too many 'branch-points' of new knowledge to explore. I find I often flit from one subject to another, following intellectual whim. Sitting down and reading book cover-to-cover, I find I'm more often to pause and break into tangential thinking, on related subjects. I attribute this to the 'instant satisfaction' (or frustration) effect of whim-driven Internet surfing.

I know the Internet can sometimes be mentally stressful,but through it I managed to find some valuable information through which I improved my overall concentration level dramatically.Before I had very poor memory,constantly daydreaming,always forgetting things.Now it has all changed.I almost never forget anything,I can remember anything I did during
the day very precisely and many improvements have come into my life through concentration.
Also a word of advice towards daydreamers,DON'T DO IT.It ruins your mind,you can't focus properly,bad effects on your memory,etc.