It is undeniably true that information is today's weapon of choice. Throughout history even, whether it's war, politics, or business, the person with the best information was almost always the victor. This is especially the case in today's competitive society where success is expected and apathy is scorned. As technology improves, it is only natural that people crave quicker, more efficient information retrieval. Our most recent information storage system, the Internet, is the ultimate technological expression of our desire for knowledge.

    As with any new information media, the Internet has the potential to induce sweeping cultural change into our society. It was the great media guru, Marshall McLuhan, who said, "the 'message' of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs." (McLuhan, 1964) The Internet did not introduce information exchange, but it certainly has changed (and continues to change) the way we view the world. The question we must now ask ourselves is whether or not this change is truly for the better?

    Most experts on technology would agree that, "Every technology is both a burden and a blessing; not either-or, but this-and-that." (Postman, 1992) This double-edged concept is particularly noticeable with the Internet. The average person is bombarded with the pros and cons of the Internet on a daily basis. Although the technophiles constantly present their image of the Internet, "as a lover does his beloved, seeing it as without blemish and entertaining no apprehension for the future," (Postman, 1992) it is difficult to ignore the technophobes. The "dark" side of the Internet has recently come to the forefront of discussion as the full social implications of this technology are being realized. It is extremely ironic that television, radio, and newspaper are the carriers of these grim characterizations of the Internet when they struggled themselves with the same 'dark' images during their early years. In fact, it is my contention that the trends seen developing in the Internet today are reflections of the development of past media technology. I am not suggesting that society need not fear the Internet, but rather, that we should look to the past for an understanding of the present.

    In order to examine this hypothesis, the issues of the Internet were broken down into five major categories. --Growth: All new media technology spreads more quickly than expected, fostering a skepticism of the unknown. --Infrastructure: With public acceptance of media technology comes technological integration. --Government Control: New communications technology has a destabilizing effect on society. Thus, the established government seeks to control it.

--False Information: No media can be completely trusted.

--Moral Decay: Whether it is a correct assessment or not, new forms of media are often blamed for societal decline.