The internet

Library for information about transport, places, newspapers and magazines. Now everything is online. 

Basic tv channels which was ideal and now it's too much choice.

Writing letters to pen pals as the postage cost was 21p. Now it's expensive. Cheap way is to use email or social media/WhatsApp. 

Used to go into a shop for information. Now inaccurate information online.

Local charity/thrift shop used to have the telephone box for the main office. 

In a nutshell. 

Account abandoned said:

Used to go into a shop for information. Now inaccurate information online.

Not sure I can agree with that - there is loads of accurate info if you use trusted sources.

Unfortunately there are loads of interested parties pumping out intentional disinformation (think Russia / China in their attempts to destabalise the "West") and heaps of peope who have little clue but profess themselves an expert where they have few skills and little knowledge (some people offering advice on here for example - some good, some bad).

I've been using the internet since it first became useful (back in the 90s) and working in IT I used it a lot so can say with confidence that it is net positive by a long way.

Forget social media - that is full op people and their stupid attempts to get likes as well as loads of idiots fighting over politics, opinions, sports teams / players etc. We are better off without it.

There is a wealth of material to consume (books, comics, magazines, TV shows, films etc) over on archive.org and a number of other resources such as Libgen, so entertainment for life can be found there.

For those of us who hate to go out and need to speak to people about stuff (in shops etc) then it is a godsend.

Account abandoned said:

Used to go into a shop for information. Now inaccurate information online.

Not sure I can agree with that - there is loads of accurate info if you use trusted sources.

Unfortunately there are loads of interested parties pumping out intentional disinformation (think Russia / China in their attempts to destabalise the "West") and heaps of peope who have little clue but profess themselves an expert where they have few skills and little knowledge (some people offering advice on here for example - some good, some bad).

I've been using the internet since it first became useful (back in the 90s) and working in IT I used it a lot so can say with confidence that it is net positive by a long way.

Forget social media - that is full op people and their stupid attempts to get likes as well as loads of idiots fighting over politics, opinions, sports teams / players etc. We are better off without it.

There is a wealth of material to consume (books, comics, magazines, TV shows, films etc) over on archive.org and a number of other resources such as Libgen, so entertainment for life can be found there.

For those of us who hate to go out and need to speak to people about stuff (in shops etc) then it is a godsend.

Social media does seem like a pervasive development to me.  Even in Brazil where they have tried to ban social media people have found work arounds.  I understand the sentiment behind wanting to shut it down but then people will just move to another website and have the same debates there.  So, ultimately what would be the point in the UK Government following the lead of Brazil and trying to ban sites like X outright.

No, it's far worse than that. People believe the sources that confirm their preexisting biases.

Iain said:

Not sure I can agree with that - there is loads of accurate info if you use trusted sources.

I'm not sure you could say print is more reliable. Remember libraries and book shops carry newspapers and we all know how inaccurate they can be. I'm not even sure you could say the average popular science book you find in waterstones is necessarily all that accurate. Remember they are mostly written by non-scientists looking for a relatable story in the science. Important details can get lost as they rush for a compelling narrative.

It's not all that hard to find some new age book claiming stone henge was built by aliens if you look hard enough. If you are lucky the bookshop has had the good sense not to put it in the history section.

British people are on the whole very trusting.  They are not very skeptical.  That's the main reason the country is in such a state in my view.

TheCatWoman said:

I think that schools have failed many people in not teaching them how to use sources of information and evaluate them

Spot on.

I guess I was lucky at school. I remember very few moments from class, but there was one lesson - I think it may have been "General Studies" - where we were given copies of newspaper cuttings covering the same story from different angles. I think I was naturally pretty skeptical, but that encouraged me further. Never looked back really.

The problem is finding sources that are trust worthy, I think that schools have failed many people in not teaching them how to use sources of information and evaluate them. I think people have a tendency to believe the first thing they read and then disregard anything to the contrary. I don't think it matters if its the internet or the British Library or pub gossip, if people don't know how to challenge, ask questions of questions etc then they're going to be vulnerable. Especially to dubious health claims for products and services, ill people are desperate and will often try almost anything, if they're lucky it will work, most likely they're wasting money, but if they're unlucky the treatments they purchase will make them worse and theres little or no come back on the snake oil pedlers.

I do think that social media should be banned, as well as “dating” apps like Grindr 

If I worked as a bus driver then I may have a cognitive bias towards thinking driving buses was a worthwhile thing. But that wouldn't prove that it was a good thing.