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This week’s content made me think about how quickly our opinions about “the internet” can flip depending on who is using it, how they’re using it, and when we measure the effects. the big takeaway from The Internet Paradox Revisited is that early fears about internet use automatically increasing loneliness and depression did not fully hold up when Kraut and colleagues followed up with newer, longer-term data. Instead, many of the outcomes looked more positive. Social involvement and psychological well-being improved for many users, and some people even reported stronger social circles and better face-to-face communication. At the same time, the research still found trade-offs, like increased life stress, and the benefits were not evenly distributed. The “rich get richer” pattern suggested that extroverts gained more social advantages than introverts. (Kraut et al., 2002) 

I don’t think that new media overall is all doom and gloom. For me, one of the biggest positive effects of the internet is how it opened up creative paths I honestly did not even know existed when I was younger. The internet gave me access to communities and tutorials that made these skills feel learnable instead of “for other people.” Over time, those online learning moments added up into real confidence, real improvement. Overall, this week pushed me to see new media less as “good or bad,” and more as something we can shape. When we use it intentionally, the internet can improve our skills and our talents beyond what we think we can do. If we let new media like the internet control us, we let the tools that were meant to advance us hold us back from our potential. 

References

Kraut, R., Kiesler, S., Boneva, B., Cummings, J., Helgeson, V., & Crawford, A. (2002). Internet paradox revisited. Journal of Social Issues, 58(1), 49–74.