The Internet is amazing. It offers us access to vast information, opinions, and perspectives with simple clicks and keystrokes. Yet as it goes with most good things, too much can be a bad thing. Relying too heavily on the Internet can hinder our ability to think independently, to make solid judgments, and to learn constructively.
There are sites out there that can tell you how to be a better parent, or how to write a paper, both of which can be very practical and helpful. The problem arises when we allow ourselves to rely so heavily on outside resources such as these that we lose our ability to think critically. If we can't develop our own processes to solve a problem or, for instance, even create a thesis statement, what results is diminished individual convictions or, worse yet, an absence of any real opinion or point of view whatsoever. In short, information on the Internet can go from guiding your point of view to actually being your point of view.
Just last night, my husband and I had a lengthy conversation about this very topic. He feels that I have grown so dependent on external resources that I've started to lack the ability to make my own opinions and question my own beliefs. As hard as it is for me swallow, he may have a point. I'm a big believer in authenticity and passion, and I shudder at the thought of this electronic thing, the Internet, making decisions for me, yet I can see how it can happen. So, it's something I need to monitor and regulate. This doesn't mean I'll stop using the Internet; I just need to make sure that it's complementing my own thoughts, not manipulating them.
Luckily, our students are at a point where they can create habits of independent thinking and genuine learning. As the significant adults in their lives, let's encourage healthy use of the Internet to help ensure we raise a generation of educated AND independent thinkers, as opposed to either/or.
~Jacqueline Villet
School Counselor
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