Has the internet been a net positive or negative for humanity?

[Zkuq]

BasilZero said:

More positive than negative.


Everything has a use, both good or bad.


The internet is a great tool and its the best thing that was made in the Age of Information.


The thing that the internet did the most is reveal how awful and immoral people truly are, better than being in the dark like 20th century and prior. What we know of history was recorded in history books, but that doesnt necessarily mean its everything. There's more things we dont know but we know more about things that are happening now compared to say a 100 years ago.

I think the internet not only reveals how terrible people are, it also makes them worse, because it seems to amplify all the negatives. Before the internet, if you had a hunch about what's wrong, I'm guessing it was a hunch. Now there's support for every vague hunch in the form of millions of people, pushed to you efficiently by algorithms, so now your hunch becomes your reality, regardless of whether's it's correct or not. Naturally I too am making this argument based on a hunch, reinforced by seemingly sensible arguments from others.