Would society heal if the internet ceased to exist for a few years?

[Snes]

Seems that the internet just snowballs everyone's hatred. People aren't using it to seek out differing opinions anymore. The US is in the midst of a culture war, with Occupy Democrats spewing toxic hatred at anyone outside of their bubble, and Breitbart/Milo spewing toxic hatred at anyone outside of their bubble, and so on.

Would society heal if we limited internet access to science/medicine/engineering for a few years, or are people just too set in their ways?

Maybe the only solution at this point is global nuclear war, and subsequent rebuilding of civilization. I just don't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

[Blueobelisk]

Heal from what? I don't feel hatred.

[Sky High]

< lives in the single most peaceful, productive period in human history
< "man shit sure is fucked we should tear it all down!"
< me: what the fuck even

[NED funded]

The problem with the internet is that is being used to reinforce priors. Even if you restrict to only academic stuff (I'm offended no social science was included), people would still use it to look for academic stuff that reinforces their ideas.

[Deleted]

If the internet suddenly ceased to exist as it currently does it would be rebuilt in weeks as it is a step of human evolution

[Snes]

< lives in the single most peaceful, productive period in human history
< "man shit sure is fucked we should tear it all down!"
< me: what the fuck even

You don't think we have a culture problem? Why is that?

I feel like seeking out people who challenge your mindset is healthier and makes you grow as a person, as opposed to forming a hate mob (just look at twitter & tumblr ecosystems).

[Belize]

You don't think we have a culture problem? Why is that?

I feel like seeking out people who challenge your mindset is healthier and makes you grow as a person, as opposed to forming a hate mob (just look at twitter & tumblr ecosystems).

You think the Internet is responsible for that?

I've got some bad news bear for you, people have always had a tendency of forming mobs. See hate groups of old, like the KKK.

[NED funded]

You think the Internet is responsible for that?

I've got some bad news bear for you, people have always had a tendency of forming mobs. See hate groups of old, like the KKK.

I mean sure, but the internet makes it easier to form groups and find info to reinforce priors. I mean like, in a jeez I can go to an app and exclusively look for republican/democrat girls to hook up with.

[Belize]

I mean sure, but the internet makes it easier to form groups and find info to reinforce priors. I mean like, in a jeez I can go to an app and exclusively look for republican/democrat girls to hook up with.

But... Why would anyone want to do that.

Doesn't everyone discuss opposing viewpoints during intercourse

[Snes]

You think the Internet is responsible for that?

I've got some bad news bear for you, people have always had a tendency of forming mobs. See hate groups of old, like the KKK.

I'm not saying it's responsible for it. I'm saying it amplifies it. The convenience of forming a "cyber" mob allows average people to wield a power that they didn't earn. They use that power to silence dissenting views or take it further to ruin people's lives via bullying or pressuring their employers to get rid of them.

[Logwyn]

The problem with the internet is that is being used to reinforce priors.

a previous criminal conviction.? what?

[Mormolyce]

I think that within 24 hours of access to porn being cut off, we'd be in some kind of permanent Purge situation.

[Sky High]

You don't think we have a culture problem? Why is that?

I feel like seeking out people who challenge your mindset is healthier and makes you grow as a person, as opposed to forming a hate mob (just look at twitter & tumblr ecosystems).

Not one that requires we hit the reset button. This isn't 1859 where we have an ACTUAL culture war going on.

[GreenJesus]

TO be honest i would be tempted to kill myself without any internet.

[Masark]

People aren't using it to seek out differing opinions anymore.

The data tells a different story.

[Noomz]

Seems that the internet just snowballs everyone's hatred. People aren't using it to seek out differing opinions anymore. The US is in the midst of a culture war, with Occupy Democrats spewing toxic hatred at anyone outside of their bubble, and Breitbart/Milo spewing toxic hatred at anyone outside of their bubble, and so on.

Would society heal if we limited internet access to science/medicine/engineering for a few years, or are people just too set in their ways?

Maybe the only solution at this point is global nuclear war, and subsequent rebuilding of civilization. I just don't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

You'd need a lot longer than a few years.

No the solution isn't nuclear war. If that happened there'd be nothing left to rebuild and nobody left to do it.

[Auxora]

That wrongly assumes that society was wonderful and everyone was kumbaya prior to the Internet, which wasn't the case. The 60's had all kinds of massive race riots in large cities around the US far beyond anything recent, that required the National Guard to be sent in. And they weren't just sent in for crowd control, it was a near civil war situation. The 70's and 80's were better but not by much, there were major union strikes and violence against scabs, and companies taking a hard stance to try to break them. White supremacist groups and racists were definitely around in the 70's and 80's. Demos and Republicans have never got along (see Republican convention in Chicago). The 80's and 90's had the rise of crack and gangs and shootings. And all along until the fall of the USSR there was always a much higher chance than now that at any moment there would be a bright flash and WW3.

There were plenty of good times too back then. But if you think people all liked each other and got along pre-Internet, you'd be disappointed.

[Snes]

That wrongly assumes that society was wonderful and everyone was kumbaya prior to the Internet

I never made that assumption.

[The Stormbringer]

I doubt it. I would certainly be very upset, as most of my hobbies and methods of keeping in touch with friends are based off of the internet. It would probably make me a surly asshole who reads books and cries in his empty apartment when not working.

[Celista]

War, disease, famine, etc all existed before the internet. These things will continue to exist well into the future.

- - - Updated - - -

I doubt it. I would certainly be very upset, as most of my hobbies and methods of keeping in touch with friends are based off of the internet. It would probably make me a surly asshole who reads books and cries in his empty apartment when not working.

Can just text. Or call, or write letters *gasp so old school*