Friday, December 22, 2017

Technology and Psychology (part 5)


One thing technology has afforded us all is the ability to gather our own information, rather than have to absorb it through established “news” organizations. We now have the freedom to do our own research and we are exposed to more opinions than ever before. Has this made us more open-minded? It has at least given us the power to question what is told to us. The news media, a teacher, a parent, or a friend—no longer do any of them hold complete sway over us. There are countless opinions out there on the internet, and most of them are totally unfiltered. This can be a very good thing, but it can also be very dangerous to an undiscerning mind. Fake information, lies, and subversive ideology can send even the well-educated off in the wrong direction. “He seemed like such a nice guy...” and yet it is later discovered that the former nice guy was spending his time on websites with terrorist propaganda. Information can start or stop wars. Information can free or oppress. And we have the internet, a total wildscape of ideas. If not for access to information, though, a nation might be controlled by an oppressive government that tells them they are living better lives than anyone else in the world. George Orwell, Ayn Rand, Ray Bradbury, and many others have warned of information control, because it can alter and shape our psychology.

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