When a teenage boy goes to pick up a young lady for
the first date, he is no longer expected to come in and meet the parents.
Instead, a simple “I’m here” text is sent, and the girl simply says goodbye to
her family and leaves. Friendship is no longer being there for a friend when
they need a shoulder to cry on, but is instead simply liking all their photos
on Instagram, or favoriting all of their tweets. True happiness is no longer
found in family and the things money can’t buy, but is instead found by purchasing
the latest Kylie Lip Kit from kyliecosmetics.com, or buying the latest Louis
Vuitton or Birkin bag. The internet has made life considerably easier, but what
if we lived in a world without it?
If the internet did not exist, the nature of the idea of love in our culture would be
radically different. Instead of the idea that falling in love should provide
immediate gratification and be based on superficial qualities (mindsets brought
on by the pornography industry and apps like Tinder), our society would be
forced to start looking at people for who they are on the inside. Instead of
swiping left (not interested) or right (interested) based solely on a photo of
someone, we would look a little more deeply at the people around us. The quiet
girl from work or the boisterous guy from class and their lives would become a
little more interesting. With nothing to distract from getting to know those
around us, we would truly get to know each other.
The
nature of friendship is another aspect of life that would be drastically different
without internet. More and more of today’s youth is becoming dependent on cell
phones to communicate with the outside world. Without the internet or the iPhone
7, teenagers might have a conversation over coffee, or enjoy time spent
together in the great outdoors. Their idea of fun would not be staring at a
device for an hour, but going on a walk, exploring a nearby river, or spending the
day on a scenic hiking trail. A friend’s devotion would not be revealed by who
wished them a happy birthday via Twitter, but who brought them a card and
shared a moment with them.
In a world without internet, the emphasis on
material things would be significantly less of a problem. Prominent social
media icons like the Kardashians or Jenners take the focus off of life’s more
important aspects. In a world without the pressure from media to have the best
clothes or most expensive possessions, our society would be free to focus on
family, charity, friendship, and true love.
If the internet did not exist, the effects
would be largely positive. Although some things would be slightly more
difficult (no online textbooks, Facebook to keep up with old friends, or Amazon
to have items shipped to your house at the click of a button), we would be
forced to communicate in a genuine way. Our world would be filled with more sympathetic
and thoughtful people, a generally more active generation of youth, and a society
more focused on things of fundamental importance.
