Internet Quote by Simon Schama
““The digital communications technology that was once imagined as a universe of transparent and perpetual illumination, in which cancerous falsehoods would perish beneath a saturation bombardment of irradiating data, has instead generated a much murkier and verification-free habitat where a google-generated search will deliver an electronic page on which links to lies and lunacy appear in identical format as those to truths and sanity. But why should we ever have assumed that technology and reason would be mutually self-reinforcing? The quickest visit to say, a site called Stormfront will persuade you that the demonic is in fact the best customer of the electronic.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Digital Age, Simon Schama, 2017
Technology was expected to illuminate truth but instead creates a murky space where falsehoods appear as credible as facts, challenging the belief that tech and reason naturally reinforce each other.
In simple terms: Tech can spread lies as easily as truth, making verification hard.
Key Takeaway
Question critically and verify sources.
Themes
technology
truth
media
skepticism
Mood
cautious
critical
skeptical
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- social media usage
- online research
- news consumption
- political discourse
Key Concepts
information overload
confirmation bias
digital ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify online information?
- What responsibilities do platforms have to curb misinformation?
A Different Perspective
Assumes all users have equal digital literacy to discern truth.
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