Anti-intelectualism of the web among others

I think people will realise that information is more reliable from libraries, where the books aren't trying to get clicks or ad revenue, and the internet is best used for entertainment and commerce. People would say the internet was good until about 2007/2008 when the first iPhone came out. Tumblr launched, Facebook launched, Twitter, and many other social media services, and as the smartphone era boomed and everybody and their dog had access to the internet, and big corporate figured out how to make a dime from every corner of the it. The Internet is a knowledge base but its truth are shifted. Since every small business and big corporation figured out how to draw in traffic into their websites and make search engines force their names on top of the list, false information has found ways to filter through and sit on the front pages of the web. You only see search engine optimized articles, ads, corporate companies websites, buzzfeed showing up while potentially richer contents gets swept under the carpet.

The effect this has has been catastrophic. People have found the notion of not wanting to actually learn anything, and it's getting normal. They'll say, everything you need to know is on the internet, don't stress your neurons. Also, the rising resistance to any sort of correction or knowledge is astounding. People will not have the slightest idea of what they are arguing about but will go on and on. It's called anti-intelectualism. Concise Oxford dictionary defines it as a sentiment of hostility towards, or mistrust of, intellectuals and intellectual pursuits. As example, its someone telling a PHD holder in Chemistry they are wrong because he read a Facebook post somewhere that <insert the latest quackery of the day here>. It's you telling a certified doctor if he's sure of what he his doing because you had googled the disease the day before and it says <insert another quackery here, a medical one>.

There's wealth of information on the internet, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the internet is totally full of bullshit stuffs. It's great and it has led to massive expansion of the human knowledge and paved way for new gains in civilization. There are great places that present to you what you need, you only need to do extra work to find them. The reason many say the internet is full of shit is because, most people who say they found this or that from the internet are coming from what the internet has on its frontpages or from people's opinion on social media where ideas or statement are not peer-reviewed, debated and analysed. They saw someone post an update on a trending issue on Instagram, they believe it, a famous celebrity said something controversial, they start thinking it must be the truth. Something trends on Twitter and they conclude if a lot of people are saying it, it must be right, a famous website post a new conspiracy and they are happy. Oh! it's on the first page of Google search and it confirmed their doubts, like that, like that, that's how information gets delivered to someone who hovers on the surface of the web. 

It's no surprise that people don't realize the value of books, peer reviewed journals and libraries anymore. We all pick our facts and arguments from the same quality of information can be found anywhere on the internet. Partly, some of this misinformation comes from the fact that everyone can use the internet and say false things. For example. Look at all the idiocy with masks right now in other countries, Just to wear a mask! Social media has given a platform to millions of people who shouldn’t have a platform. There’s power in numbers and the internet lets complete morons gather force and impact decisions. Anti-maskers, Anti-vaxers, Flat Earthers, 5G causes covid-19, despite we all have access to science! We live in misinformation times really. We don't have all of these oppositions in Nigeria, but the world is changing.

But it goes further than just the internet. Reality itself is now becoming harder and harder to distinguish from itself. What is real? Which media outlet is trustworthy? Are they pushing the right narrative? Which internet source is real? What "news" stories are really "conspiracy" theories, and what "conspiracy" theories are actually real and should be news stories? Are they news outlets reporting what are important, among others? The internet is a massive universe of echo chambers and people waking up every single day and hearing their own voice bounce back to them through endless posts and memes and comments made by people that agree with them and think just like them. These is the the internet we have today.

That's all the rants about the anti-intelectualism, among others in the age we are in. I didn't arrange these in points like my previous blog posts, but it's alright. There are people who know how to navigate the internet, they know where to get reliable information, they can separate facts from opinions and think, they can detect any fake news just by reading its headlines, they'll spot morons right from their comments. But comparing them to people who don't, they are far outnumbered!

Posted by Kompleksanda

Follow me everywhere @kompleksanda