These days all of us are at home, and are spending a lot of our time on the internet. There is a lot of news about the virus, about politics and about people's sentiments. I have hardly any other contact with the outside world, other than through the internet. As I try to stay informed and cope with my new normal, I have given serious thought to the source of all of my information.
The internet can be the worst teacher. Much like an imaginary friend, you can spend time "hanging out" with the internet. It talks to you, it can keep a secret (at least from your parents) and it can be your companion when you need support or comfort. The resources online are plenty and if you go looking for something, chances are you will find it. But isn't that the problem? The internet only gives you what you are looking for. You search for love and any search engine gives you the top ten websites that discuss the meaning of love. As a bonus, you will get a couple of ads thrown in to tell you about a dictionary you can buy, or a self help book about love or dating websites. On the surface, it seems like the search engine has given you brand new information. In reality, it has learnt about you over the course of your search history and it knows exactly what you are interested in when you type in the word "love" into the search bar. If you are like me, your imaginary friend would recommend the love songs you love and about ten web series that discuss the topic of love. This is information that I already had, but had forgotten. Of course, the website I use to watch series has my viewing history and so does the search engine, and both of them think that a series about a troubled masochist with a drug addiction who cannot find love is an appropriate suggestion for someone seeking love. It is not good to have an imaginary friend in your late twenties.
But of course, I love the internet. And I am not that private about my data. However, it is important to learn that the internet cannot be your sole source of information. On the flip side.
The internet can be the best teacher. Like a dusty old college professor, the internet knows everything about everything and it also corrects your grammar. The difference is that the internet has a better memory. Information is available freely and in abundance. It is possible to conduct research from the comfort of your home. The opportunities of learning are endless. At the click of a button, I can have everything I need to survive for a month delivered to my doorstep. I can see my niece grow up from a thousand miles away. While I am stuck in quarantine, I can work remotely, and also catch up with the shows that I love. Much like the professor, the internet checks up on me periodically " are you still watching?". The internet gives you access to the actual words of the world's greatest leaders and teachers ( I love Twitter! ) . There is much knowledge that one can gain from the world wide web. But like any good professor, the internet can only equip you with skills, how you use them is up to you.
Do not let the internet reinforce your biases. Step out of the bubble once in a while. Question the teachings. Any teacher worth their salt should be able to field queries effectively. We should make no exceptions for the internet.