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Internet.

When we think of that word, most of us shudder and smile simultaneously. At least I do. The internet holds an uncanny power over us. Because we all study at an online school and must rule out burning our wireless routers, we should instead tread carefully and make sure we control our internet use. Just because we can use the internet does not mean we must. Internet makes a great slave but a hard master. As Jacques Ellul says, according to the “technological imperative,” the existence of new technology pushes us to employ it, and that helps the internet to steal the throne. Take the crown back: you are king over your internet usage. It need not rule your life.

The internet plays the role of a slave best. It simplifies school research and finding answers to everyday questions. It brings us edification through blogs, online newsletters, or music commentaries. Through the internet we can much more easily communicate across continents. It makes listening to music easier, although controversies over the legality of music downloading have skyrocketed as a result. Sites like bible-gateway.com help us search the Bible in different versions and find commentaries on difficult passages. Online photo sites help us share our lives with our distant friends. Facebook, although it leads to many of its own vices, helps us keep connected with our friends when we do not have time for long emails. Chatting of all sorts gives us a real-time way to communicate casually. RSS feeds and such help us get what news we want in the way we want. Yet, as with most good things, internet can be abused, and we must steer clear of depending on it or letting it take over our lives.

Most of us know about the more obvious vices of our two-faced friend, the internet. Internet allows easier distribution of inappropriate media, plagiarism, and substitution of virtual interaction for physical. We can get easily addicted to our internet-related activities: Facebooking, surfing, Twitter (“Tweeting”?!), emailing, chatting, blogging, even using TPS’s Mahara. Because of many open-source sites we can often find manipulatively or ignorantly incorrect information. Without proper protection, the internet carries nasty viruses that can destroy your computer and steal your private information. Worst of all, the internet has power to suck us in unawares.

However, insightful programmers have created programs that log our time and activities on the computer, setting a new trend. Instead of encouraging us to delve ignorantly into the internet’s depths, they help us see how much time we actually do spend. Virtual timers can also help; sometimes we think only a few minutes have passed when, in reality, it has been a few hours. In our world, where our time is limited and valuable, we must be intentional about our computer use because it is easy to squander. This column aims to help in that pursuit.

Our generation spends a good amount of its time on the internet, we online scholars not least of all. We must take advantage of this opportunity to use everything, even the internet, with the most insight and care. The internet is a double-edged sword, so make sure the sharper edge points away from you. Force the internet into submission, instead of letting it become your master. You will find it makes a very useful slave.

 

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