Stardate 2123: The Internet vs. Bush/Hawthorne

The Internet is an interesting creation and an even more interesting topic of conversation. There are many different viewpoints about the Internet. Some believe it to be one of the best and greatest creations of all time while others view it as an invention robbing us of our time, creativity and sanity. While I can see both sides of the argument and while I agree that both sides have their positive and negative aspects, I tend to think along with those who say that, for all its benefits, the Internet is taking far more from us, than it will ever give us. For backing to my various points of view I will be referring to two pieces of literary history; the first is a piece called “As We May Think” by Vannevar Bush and the other is called “Fire Worship” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. While neither of these authors wrote about the Internet, nor even knew of it, there are many parallels in their writings.
When I think about the Internet, my mind goes to a few things. Things like the unimaginable amount of information to be found, the ease of keeping up with people whom you might otherwise not be able to keep in touch with, and the ability to perform normal everyday tasks from the comfort of home. Now I know what you are thinking, didn’t he say he was opposing the Internet? Well, not exactly. See, the Internet is very useful. In fact, right this moment, while I type, I am currently using the Internet to look up any references I may make to the articles. So I am not opposed to the Internet, but rather I can see the downsides of the Internet, which many times people overlook. Now the other thing you might be thinking is, how does an article by Nathaniel Hawthorne parallel with the Internet? Well, that’s a good question. In this article, Hawthorne is ranting and raving about this terrible, terrible invention that is taking over his house and has ruined family life as he knew it. What is this wretched invention he is complaining about? It’s the wood stove. Wait, the wood stove ruined families? Yes, you see before the wood stove, families had to gather around the fireplace to keep warm. This meant that you had to put up with your annoying little brother, or the crazy uncle that nobody liked to talk to and therefore led to families being a lot closer to each other. Then the woodstove came about and produced more heat, less smoke and a number of other positive things but lacked one thing, an open fire to sit in front of. That is why Hawthorne attributed it to the demise of the family. Many people in our era would attribute the same to the Internet. It used to be that families would spend time together. Now they just instant message each other from the same house telling why they are too busy to come downstairs and talk. Now people don’t even watch T.V. together, which by the way is one of the many things that began this pulling apart of the family, but rather watch viral videos on Youtube and other things that waste time that a family could spend together.
Now Bush would argue that the Internet is an amazing tool that everyone should not only take advantage of but also appreciate. Bush was a scientist in the time around World War 1 and was a part of the group who invented the Atomic bomb. He had a great vision to see something where everyone could compile information and share it with everyone else. His vision, the Memex, was a desk-like creation that information could be uploaded into and anyone could access. This sounds to me a lot like the Internet. Everyday, people put their thoughts, dreams, desires and knowledge on the Internet. I’m doing it right now! And while Bush didn’t know what the Internet was/is I believe that what he wanted was a low-tech version of the Internet. And even though you may look at that as a good thing, the fact that you can get information so easily on the Internet, means that you don’t have to go to a friend or parent, ask a question and spend time together figuring out the answer. That personal interaction is what we are loosing and with every upgrade we make, we get farther and farther away from the days when families would spend quality time together, not just a passing hello on their way out the door or on the way to the computer.