Internet detractors seem to miss this simple fact, which is why so many of their criticisms disintegrate under observation. In reality it’s a befuddling mix of the stupid and the sublime, a shattered, contradictory, and fragmented medium.
The notion that the Internet is bad for you seems premised on the idea that the Internet is one thing - a monolith. When I click around news sites, am I wasting time because I should be working instead? What if I’ve spent hours working, and I need a break? Am I wasting time if I watch cat videos, but not if I read a magazine story about the Iran nuclear deal? Am I wasting time if I look up the latest presidential polling numbers, but not if I’m communicating with an old friend on Facebook?
Is the Internet a waste of time? It’s not so easy to say.
