What is greater - the benefits from the internet that enhance our lives, education, and health, or the damage the internet does to our society through illegal and illicit activities? 2) What can be done to lessen the negative impacts of the underground internet on society? who should be responsible for taking these actions? 3) Which of today's technology has gotten out of control? Are financially or technologically motivated people to blame for these societal crises?

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY

1) What is greater- the benefits from the internet that enhance our lives, education, and health, or the damage the internet does to our society through illegal and illicit activities?

One's perspective on this question would be governed by what side of society one is on. From my vantage point, the internet enhances our lives tremendously. It is a source for sharing information, staying in touch with people, and enhancing the lives of people around us. What do I mean? Let me get personal for a moment. For the most part, I make my living teaching. Some of it I do through BrainMass. This provides me and my family with a certain amount of money each year to buy food, pay bills, and otherwise, survive. Additionally, I keep up a website at www.haderek.ca that distributes various teachings regarding the Bible. As a result of this activity, through email communications, conferencing calls, etc. I know that I have directly affected the lives of many people in a very positive fashion. This is what is important to me. I would not have been able to do any of this without the internet.

There are other examples that I could cite, but it is more important for you to consider your own life.

It is true that many people use the internet for gambling, for pornography, and the like. In fact, from what I understand these are the two largest uses of the internet. This is indeed sad. Yet, it is a reflection of our larger societal ills. But, don't get me wrong, I do not mean to downplay these evils, because they are indeed great. But whether or not the internet exists, many people will still tend towards these degrading activities. They will find an outlet.

To some, the negative effects are greater, while to others, the positive effects are greater. I would hope to believe that the positive effects are greater, but then again, I wouldn't be so gullible to think that I must be right.

In the end, only time will tell.

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2) What can be done to lessen the negative impacts of the underground internet on society? who should be responsible for taking these actions?

I believe in limited government that has minimal impact on the lives of people. Philosophically, I believe that civil governments should exist to protect liberty and property, not to burden us with regulations. Equally, I believe that people should learn to become responsible for themselves and for those whom they have oversight over, i.e. children. Therefore, I believe that the responsibility lies, for the most part, with the family. But once again, merely treating the symptom doesn't deal with the cause. To solve the problem, we must find out what the cause of the negative impacts are, and then deal with that.

In other words, why do people gravitate toward the negative uses of the internet? That answer gets us into the world of the spirit or, if you prefer, the metaphysical. There is something inherently messed up with our spirits. Another way to put this is that our "spirituality" has gone amok. It is focused in the wrong direction. You see, we are spiritual creatures. We cannot logically deny this, but if we do, we will just have more problems. We have a spirit, we have a mind, and we have a body. And the three must harmonize, otherwise, we run into trouble.

So, the problem with the internet lies in our hearts, within our minds, and within our bodies. This must be the focus of any attempt to lessen the negative impact of the internet on society. That is why I believe that the fundamental source of help must lie within the families, for it is there that the primary caregivers live. It is the parents who must take a higher degree of responsibility in raising and educating their children. That's a big word, "education." For, it is the children who become adults -- and rather quickly, I must add!

One final thought: Adults can't control themselves too well if they weren't taught to exercise self-control as children. It is a discipline that must be taught, and it must be taught as soon as possible.

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3) Which of today's technology has gotten out of control? Are financially or technologically motivated people to blame for these societal crises?

I do not believe that technology has gotten out of control. Rather, I believe that people have gotten out of control. Technology, and the use of technology, emerges out of man. It comes out of him. It reflects his thoughts and his cares and his desires, not the other way around. When we focus on technology as a thing in and of itself, we miss the target. Technology is not the problem. We are the problem. Someone once said if we want to know what is in the heart of man, listen to what man says and to what man does, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

But, you see, most people cannot handle that truth, and so, we find ways to dismiss it out of hand or reject it outright. Such an approach, however, will only bring more grief. To deny the truth doesn't solve the problem. The truth is liberating. It is cleansing too. But it will be challenging too.

So, do we pass blame onto a subset of society in order to justify ourselves? This is all too common in our world. We are always looking to cast blame. Why do we do this? Because when we do, we justify ourselves. We're off the hook. We become the victim rather than the one responsible. It's so convenient, and so deceptively misleading.

Yes, technology motivated people and financially driven people are part of the problem, but so are we. After all, we use the technology. Therefore, we are just as guilty if we misuse the technology. We have choices to make. We can make right choices or we can make wrong choices. This power resides within us. And for that choice, we have no one to blame, but ourselves.

Here's an analogy to consider: If you live in a country that has promulgated an unjust law, making freedom of speech illegal. Yet, the nation still allows a semblance of trial by jury. Someone gets arrested for speaking the truth. You're sitting on the jury. The evidence is clearly against him. Without a doubt, he broke the law. Do you affirm the unjust law by handing down the verdict of "guilty"? Or rather, do you take personal responsibility (some would call it civil disobedience) to oppose the unjust law and hand down the verdict of "not guilty"? This is our responsibility. No one else can be blamed at this point. What would you do? Do you just blame the legislators who produced the unjust law, or do you take personal responsibility to stop the ill effects of the unjust law where you can? If everyone were to do this, then no matter what unjust laws were promulgated, they would have no effects.