collective concsiousness

when asked, "how do you stay i touch with people?" most would answer: with the internet. with sites like facebook, myspace, flikr, youtube, blog sites, and many others, we are surrounded by opprotunities to connect with people. we have created another world online, separate from our bilogical world. people often prefer this online world to the real one. i have seen, on many occasions, people talking on facebook, but ignoring each other when face-to-face. why is this? are we uncomfortable with communication if we dont have the protection of a computer screen?

the internet breaks down the barriers of time and space, and creates a sense of constant connection. people are using the internet as their primary means of communication, and in turn, creating a new online society. the way people view themselves within this society is a part of the concept of collective consciousness. this online society has an entire database of internal knowledge, knowledge that everyone adds to and takes ideas from. for me, the concept of collective consciousness justifies my thought that what you think is an original idea is usually not. if you can think of something and research it online, it is most likely that someone else has already gathered information and posted it online. even when you think you have an original thought, chances are if you searched online you would find that someone else has not only thought the same idea, but has done the research and published it online.

this online collection of thoughts and ideas is a great research tool. as a college student that spends half my time writing papers and preparing projects, i can testify that the internet, given its problems, is a lifesaver. at 21 it is hard to remember what its like to do serious research with no help from an online database. even when i do research in the university library, i use the library's website to find a book that fits my topic, which pages will be the most helpful, and where i can find it. this is far from the days of using the dewey decimal system in my elementary school library. 

while the great improvements to our society that accompanied the technological advancements of the internet are apparent, there are also downfalls to the world wide web. people can become so wrapped up in their "virtual life" that they become completey out of touch with reality. there are many people who have admitted to preferring their online life to that of the real world. when i hear about these people i wonder, how did it get this bad? when did it stop being something to do, and become the only thing you want to do? and, can your life ever be the same?

resources

the conscious internet

collective consciousness