{"id":86964,"date":"2025-08-16T10:03:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T10:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/86964\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T10:03:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T10:03:06","slug":"ed-vasicek-reflections-on-this-age-of-the-internet-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/86964\/","title":{"rendered":"Ed Vasicek: Reflections on this age of the internet | Opinion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The internet is one huge innovation. Yet we don\u2019t know whether to celebrate or grieve its advent; its emergence was inevitable.<\/p>\n<p>Back in the mid 90\u2019s, many Americans avoided the internet. I had no objection to it \u2013 except for the cost of an internet provider. I generally like new technologies, just not paying for them. I pinch a penny so tight that the head and tail are on the same side!<\/p>\n<p>kAm(96? x 7:CDE 3642&gt;6 7=F6?E @?=:?6 \ud83d\ude15 `hhe[ x FD65 2 5:2= FA 4@??64E:@?] %96C6 C62==J H2D?\u2019E 2 49@:46] *@F H@F=5 962C E96 6=64EC@?:4 5:2=:?8 E@?6D[ E96? E92E DE2E:4 D@F?5 WH9:49 H2D E96 &gt;@56&gt; 4@??64E:@?X 2?5 E96? DF556?=J J@F H6C6 4@??64E65 E@ E96 :?E6C?6E] x7 J@F E6=6A9@?65 2 7C:6?5 2?5 E96:C =:?6 H2D 4@?DE2?E=J 3FDJ[ J@F A@DEF=2E65 E92E E96J H6C6 @?=:?6] p?5 E96J AC@323=J H6C6]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm$@&gt;6 A6@A=6 24BF:C65 2 D64@?5 E6=6A9@?6 =:?6i @?6 7@C 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ E96 @E96C 7@C E96 :?E6C?6E] $@&gt;6 3FD:?6DD6D 925 2 E9:C5 =:?6 7@C E96:C 72I &gt;249:?6 WC6&gt;6&gt;36C E9@D6nX] s6&gt;2?5 7@C A9@?6 =:?6D 3642&gt;6 D@ :?E6?D6 E92E E96 A9@?6 4@&gt;A2?:6D 25565 &gt;@C6 2?5 &gt;@C6 2C62 4@56D] p 76H H6636C @7 3FD:?6DD 42C5D AC:?E65 FA[ E96 A9@?6 4@&gt;A2?J 2??@F?465 E92E z@&lt;@&gt;@ H@F=5 ?@ =@?86C 36 \ud83d\ude15 E96 b`f 2C62 4@56] ~FC ?6H 4@56 H@F=5 36 fedP vCCC]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAmp=E9@F89 :?E6C?6E 2446DD \ud83d\ude00 E96 ?@C&gt;[ :E \ud83d\ude00 ?@E F?:G6CD2=] p44@C5:?8 E@ v@@8=6 px[ \u201cpAAC@I:&gt;2E6=J bbT @7 E96 8=@32= A@AF=2E:@? C6&gt;2:?D @77=:?6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= %6=64@&gt;&gt;F?:42E:@?D &amp;?:@? Wx%&amp;X] x? E96 &amp;?:E65 $E2E6D[ 23@FE fT @7 25F=ED 5@ ?@E FD6 E96 :?E6C?6E]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm$@&gt;6 :?E6C?6E DFC76CD &gt;FDE DE:== FD6 2 5:2=\\FA D6CG6C] p44@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^7:?=6JFD2]4@&gt;Qm7:?=6JFD2]4@&gt;k^2m[ U=5BF@jtG6? \ud83d\ude15 E96 286 @7 72DE 3C@2532?5[ E96C6 DE:== 2C6 23@FE `fd[___ 9@FD69@=5D \ud83d\ude15 E96 &amp;?:E65 $E2E6D E92E C6=J @? 5:2=\\FA E@ 86E @?=:?6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ &amp;?:E65 $E2E6D r6?DFD 52E2 AC6D6?E65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^#6G:6HD]@C8Qm#6G:6HD]@C8k^2m]UC5BF@jk^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm%96 &gt;@DE 72&gt;@FD 5:2=\\FA AC@G:56C[ p&gt;6C:42 ~? {:?6[ H:== ?@ =@?86C 36 @776C:?8 D6CG:46] p44@C5:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^&amp;!x]4@&gt;Qm&amp;!x]4@&gt;k^2m[ U=5BF@jp~{ 2??@F?465 :E A=2?D E@ 6?5 5:2=\\FA x?E6C?6E D6CG:46 27E6C c_ J62CD \ud83d\ude15 @A6C2E:@? 3J E96 6?5 @7 $6AE6&gt;36C]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm\u201c%96 4@&gt;A2?J D2:5 \ud83d\ude15 2 AC6DD C6=62D6 E92E :ED 5:2=\\FA D6CG:46 2?5 2DD@4:2E65 AC@5F4ED H:== 36 D9FEE6C65 $6AE] b_]\u201d %:&gt;6D 92G6 492?865]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm(96? x 7:CDE \u201c8@E E96 :?E6C?6E[\u201d x 2AAC64:2E65 :ED 4@?G6?:6?46] x? E:&gt;6 :ED 52C&lt; D:56 42&gt;6 E@ =:89Ej :E 92D 366? FD65 E@ 6IA=@:E &gt;2?J H:E9 6?5=6DD D42&gt;D[ 96=A E6CC@C:DE 8C@FAD 4@??64E[ AC@&gt;@E6 D6I EC277:4&lt;:?8[ C2?D@&gt; 9F86 4@CA@C2E:@?D[ ?FCEFC6 4J36C3F==J:?8[ 2?5 AC@&gt;@E6 2== D@CED @7 6G:=] {:&lt;6 &gt;@DE E649?@=@8J[ :E \ud83d\ude00 \ud83d\ude15 :ED6=7 ?6FEC2=] wF&gt;2? ?2EFC6 \u2013 H:E9 :ED 325 2?5 8@@5 :?4=:?2E:@?D \u2013 A=2JD :ED6=7 @FE @? E96 ?6E]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm~? E96 A@D:E:G6 D:56[ &gt;2?J =:G6D 92G6 366? D2G65 3J :?7@C&gt;2E:@? G:2 E96 :?E6C?6E] %96 :?E6C?6E \ud83d\ude00 A6C92AD E96 46?EC2= C62D@? H6 ?@H =:G6 \ud83d\ude15 E96 :?7@C&gt;2E:@? 286] x? E96 A2DE[ J@F 925 E@ @H E96 C:89E A6@A=6[ 7:?5 E96 C:89E 3@@2E:@?] }@H E96 :?7@C&gt;2E:@? \ud83d\ude00 C:89E 2E 92?5[ 6IA65:E65 6G6? 72DE6C E9C@F89 px]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm*@F?86C 86?6C2E:@?D 2C6 E2&lt;:?8 D@4:6EJ\u2019D C6:8?D \u2013 86?6C2E:@?D C2:D65 2D \u201c@?6 H:E9 E96 4@&gt;AFE6C]\u201d x? @FC 52J[ DFCC6?56C:?8 E96 :?E6C?6E H@F=5 36 2&lt;:? E@ C6EFC?:?8 E@ @FE9@FD6D] %@F89 E@ 8@ 324<\/p>\n<p>kAm$E:==[ :ED D9C2A?6= \ud83d\ude00 =@5865 H:E9:? @FC D@4:6EJ] (6 92G6 2== &lt;:?5D @7 ADJ49@=@8:42= 2?5 D@4:2= 72==@FE 7C@&gt; E96 286 @7 D@4:2= &gt;65:2 2?5 56A6?56?46 FA@? E649?@=@8J] xE 92D 366? &gt;6DDJ 2?5 \ud83d\ude15 D@&gt;6 H2JD 56EC:&gt;6?E2= E@ @FC A9JD:42=[ &gt;6?E2=[ D@4:2=[ 2?5 DA:C:EF2= 962=E9] (6 92G6 J6E E@ AC@46DD 2== :ED 4@?D6BF6?46D @C AC@A6C=J H6:89 E96&gt;]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm~FC 92?5 \ud83d\ude00 7@C465] %96 :?E6C?6E[ px[ 2?5 E96 &gt;2C49 @7 E649?@=@8J 42??@E 36 DE@AA65] x7 H6 5@?\u2019E DE2J 29625 @7 E96 4FCG6 D@&gt;6@?6 6=D6 H:== =62G6 FD \ud83d\ude15 E96 D=@H =2?6] pD t5 }@CE@? BF@E65 E@ #2=A9 zC2&gt;56?[ \u201c%:&gt;6 2?5 E:56 H2:E 7@C ?@ &gt;2?]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n<p>kAm(6 2C6 EJ:?8 E@ 4@&gt;6 FA H:E9 H2JD E@ C6DEC:4E[ &gt;@56C2E6[ 2?5 E2&gt;6 E96D6 E649?@=@8:6D D@ H6 42? C62A E96:C 36?67:ED 2?5 &gt;:?:&gt;:K6 E96:C 92C&gt;] !2C6?ED &gt;FDE A2CE:4F=2C=J AC@E64E E96:C 49:=5C6? H:E9 2 92?5D\\@? 2AAC@249[ 24E:G6=J &gt;@?:E@C:?8 9@H 2?5 H96? E96:C J@F?8 @?6D FD6 E649?@=@8J] q2=2?465 =:G:?8 92D 2=H2JD 366? 2 DECF88=6 3642FD6 E96 492==6?86D &lt;66A D9:7E:?8 \u2013 2?5 D@ &gt;FDE H6]k^Am<\/p>\n<p>        &#13;<br \/>\n                                &#13;<br \/>\n                                &#13;<\/p>\n<p>Ed Vasicek is a retired pastor and longtime Kokomo resident who has been writing for the Kokomo Tribune since 1999.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The internet is one huge innovation. Yet we don\u2019t know whether to celebrate or grieve its advent; its&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":86965,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[181,59919,1490,26821,59916,3195,13097,22015,59918,38415,191,38416,59920,38419,18958,7542,101,526,3413,97,38064,25934,7546,38417,11382,174,38422,259,25280,28376,5964,1901,5093,2603,74,11719,25292,59921,59922,59917,38420],"class_list":["post-86964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-internet","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder","tag-autism","tag-behavioural-sciences","tag-chatbot-psychosis","tag-chatgpt","tag-child","tag-childhood","tag-chronic-condition","tag-computer-networks","tag-computing","tag-cyberspace","tag-dial-up-internet-access","tag-digital-media","tag-digital-technology","tag-diseases-and-disorders","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-electronics","tag-health","tag-health-equity","tag-human-development","tag-human-diseases-and-disorders","tag-information-and-communications-technology","tag-information-technology","tag-internet","tag-mass-media-technology","tag-mental-health","tag-mobile-phone","tag-modem","tag-psychology","tag-service-industries","tag-smartphone","tag-social-issues","tag-technology","tag-telecommunications","tag-telephone","tag-telephone-numbering-plan","tag-telephony","tag-urban-green-space","tag-wide-area-networks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}