Even though it is slightly out of date, the information presented and discussed in the PBS documentary, Digital Nation, still holds true today. Over the past 20 years we have seen social media and the internet change almost every aspect of our daily lives. Since this video was made we have seen the impact of this technological crutch that we call the internet. It has slowly became the primary source of communication over the years and is changing how we do our work, how we learn, how we study, how we socialize, and how comfortable we are with ourselves. For most people the first thing they do every morning is check their phone and the last thing before they go to bed is check their phone.

The internet was initially a result of the need for more secure and standardized communication through a decentralized source, in turn allowing for safe and effective communication. Now every single keystroke and movement you make on your computer is recorded and stored by the government, companies, and people around the world as they are trying to learn from this information and use it to their advantage.

The documentary opened my eyes to how addictive and detrimental increased screen time can be if you don’t have self control. It showed us the reality of how much control the internet has on us through multiple perspectives. One of the biggest criticisms I’ve heard is that the internet is making our generation and the newer generations dumb. While being a firm believer of Social Darwinism, I don’t necessarily blame the internet for any negative problems it may have on generations or individuals but I blame the generations and individuals themselves for letting anything bad happen to them. We all have the opportunity to become aware and think for ourselves. The internet has been one of the greatest innovations of all time and will only continue to inspire and produce more innovation as it continues to get better and better.

The creation of the internet was the start of a new intellectual and innovative era in my opinion. Almost everything we know as humans is accessible on the internet. At the click of a button you can search through millions of articles and books to find what you are looking for. At the click of a button you can send a message across the entire country only to receive your reply 30 seconds later. It has created an efficient flow and passage of knowledge across the world that we’ve never seen before. We are capable of more than every because we now get to waste less time searching for an answer or learning something than before.

But at some point you may ask, how much internet is too much internet? How has it began to affect us as a society or as an individual in that society? What can we do to adapt and overcome the negative aspects that come with the internet?