Imagining the Internet

A vision for the future

This is one of nearly a thousand foresight statements shared by people from around the world. To return to the Voices of the People home page, click here. To do a refined search of the Voices of the People statements, click here. To submit your ideas to this online archive, look to the upper right corner of this page, click on "Share Your Prediction" and fill in the pop-up form.

Name: Craig Kahle

From: Ohio

Bio: Internet user for 10 years

Area of Expertise: Advocate/Voice of the People

Topic: Communication

Headline: More Information, Less Contact

Nutshell: The internet allows people all over the world to share their personal photos, bios, etc., but because of this ease to get info, people rely less on in-person contact.

Vision: While the ability offered by the internet to share information with anyone, anywhere in the world at any time is liberating, it has its drawbacks. Instead of relying on interpersonal contact to receive information, people will stay home instead of getting out, seeing friends, and first hand interviews.

Email may make it easier to communicate to faraway friends and family, but it can't replace the sound of the human voice.

Video conferencing may be better than a telephone call, but it can't beat being in the same room with another person.

The liberation of the internet, no matter how great it is as the voice of the people, will not bring happiness to world. People will bring happiness to each other.

Date Submitted: 11/11/2004