Article June 10, 2013 Issue

To Google or not to Google?

Laura Moliter

This article originally appeared on csmonitor.com.

Does it seem that it’s easy to get drawn into finding all the answers to our lives through the Internet? This available, expansive, and fast technological advance is bringing information to the world quickly and comprehensively. Anytime we need to find a restaurant, a date, or the last time the moon was full, we have an immediate answer on the Web.

The advancements in accessibility of information and communication can lead us to new ideas, expanded thought, and connections across the globe. The Internet is a tool that has saved lives by reaching those in need with inspiration and care. Exploring topics of well-being with discernment, expectation, as well as wisdom and self-control, can open us up to the very idea we need just when we need it.

But there is also a danger I’ve learned to be alert to. A reliance on other people’s thoughts and opinions can be addictive and hypnotic. Instead of leading to well-being, it can lead us into a morass of information that is overwhelming, conflicting, confusing, and often depressing. How helpful is that?

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