Internet, the big spoiler

The Internet is amazing. It gave us the ability to get our purchases delivered without having to talk to another human being on the phone. Plus a bunch of other amenities. But all progress comes with a price. So, what have we lost with the onset of the World Wide Web?Already, this article is taking me way too long to write. I don’t have writer’s block. I have the Internet. And IT is the problem. I keep getting distracted by things that are not really my business.I just logged into Facebook. I saw that one of the people I know posted a funny line on their wall. I read it, even honored it with a “Like”. Meanwhile, I’m supposed to be telling you how savage the internet can be. Then I checked a site known as Tumblr.Meanwhile, I’m getting tempted to look up an upcoming musician friend’s video on the all mighty You tube. Thank God I’m not on Twitter.Talking of You tube, most of the terrible videos there would be great if they were part of an amateur movie maker’s initiative.Youtube gave the world an audience, which is a good thing great for people with some talent. But it’s terrible for the talentless.These days, you can’t get away with uploading your video to Youtube without being judged against everyone in the world.Yes, you could be that good at guitar compared to most of your contemporaries in real life. But you are terrible compared to a 12-year-old kid on Youtube. If you uploaded a video of yourself, everyone would dismiss it as garbage, because that 12-year-old kid is on the same website. You’re either the best or the worst on the Internet. There is no in-between.The other consequence of this is that it’s discouraging to see how much better small children are than you. If you can’t compete with a 12-year-old, why bother?Social media on the World Wide Web is great because anyone can join in on the fun, but terrible because everyone joins in on the fun, but never wants to stop. No wonder it is said the Internet can’t get hold of a joke without destroying it.Another modern ruin caused by internet is the old art of “First Dates”. This is because today, increasingly more people are taking to the web to find potential suitors. More people are having their first contact with potential lovers on internet social forums and chat rooms.You could read a lot about your fantasy lover on Facebook. You can learn their favorite quotes and their siblings’ names, but that doesn’t automatically translate into knowing them better. By reading about their hobbies and interests before hand, you are actually stealing away your ability to make small talk when you eventually hook up.Granted, small talk can be boring, but it’s an icebreaker all the same. It leads to more interesting conversations. The more you know about someone from Facebook, the more likely it is that you will end up with a boring conversation along these lines:You: “So, what’s your favorite movie?”Her: “Django Unchained. Yours is Titanic, I know.”You: “Well, what’s your favorite band?”Her: “AC/DC. I’ve already read all the bands you like so you don’t have to tell me.”You: “Great. I’d ask you about the weather, but I assume you’ve already read about that on the Internet.”

Lifestyle

Internet, the big spoiler