Will the internet really make people get along with each other?

Will the internet really make people get along with each other?

“We’ve expanded to the point where all the world will be connected – We’re going to have to get on with each other” (Tim Berners-Lee commenting on the internet in a Rolling Stones interview).

Tim Berners-Lee made a powerful statement when he implied that people all around the world will all have to get along with each other because the world is a more connected place with the internet. Realistically, will being connected via the internet really make people get along better? Does the web have the power to bring together people that would not normally be able to get along? Yes, technology and cyberspace has made communication and information possible among people around the world but does that mean that people with different values will learn to respect and get along with each other? People with different belief systems, political views and general outlooks may now communicate easily and in an ideal world that may help people overcome differences. Unfortunately, conflicts have occurred since the beginning of time. While, yes the internet may help people communicate in a more productive manner, the ability it has to create a world where everyone gets along must be questioned. Just because people have the means to communicate and learn about each other does not mean that it will be used in a productive manner. The internet is a tool that could potentially be used for positive or negative means. Human nature does not dictate that just because people are connected that they will get along.

Hiatt, Brian (2007, November 15). Tim Berners-Lee. Rolling Stones, 1039, 78. Retrieved from Regis Academic Search Premier