Originally Posted by
mstateglfr
Yes, very familiar with encyclopedias. My house had 3 sets growing up and the info in them was limited in scope and breadth compared to what is immediately available to us online. There is simply no possible way anyone could argue that the information in a set of home use print encyclopedias is anywhere close to as detailed and complete as the internet.
As for finding plenty of studies that show the internet and television has been a net negative...I admittedly havent googled for that before since it just sounds so absurd. I also havent googled 'dog monkey' before, but am confident that both your claim and a picture of a dog monkey both exist.
Im also confident I could find plenty of studies, actual credible ones, that show the free flow of information since TV and the Internet came to be has had a net positive effect.
You mention my anecdotal evidence as if that isnt valid since its a small sample size...but that is actually my point- the sample sizes should be small and i think its a mistake to aggregate all those small sample sizes to then try and extrapolate a finding that fits your narrative. The sample size should be small because as I mentioned- its up to parents and the support structure that helps raise each child to ensure the child uses the technology in the best way possible. If that isnt happening, its the fault of the parents and support structure, rather than the fault of a source of free flowing ideas and information.
First off, nobody is saying encyclopedias are more thorough than the internet, but you seem to imply that we were living in the dark ages prior to 1996 (or whenever the internet was "invented"). Almost makes you wonder how we managed to plan D-day, build the bomb, put a man on the moon... all without the internet!
And are you really trying to argue that looking up studies about the negative effects of the internet and smartphones is somehow extreme or absurd? Because if you look at the results, you will see that a lot of scholars and scientists have used their precious time to look into what you equate to a "dog monkey."
Lastly, your reliance on society to correct and police itself is an antiquated notion. It's not working. Look around! I see that you are in a state with fewer people than most neighborhoods around here (and yet you have two Senators), so perhaps your extrapolations onto our overall society might be lacking?