'The Internet of Us' author warns against too much Internet dependence

Michael Lynch, professor of philosophy at the University of Connecticut and scholar in epistemology, joined a seminar held in central Seoul on Wednesday to commemorate the publication of the translated version of his book "The Internet of Us." He showed deep concerns of the current reality turning extreme.

He said extremism has deepened due to the attitude to believing fragmentary and knowledge that suit one's tastes obtained from the Internet, adding the shooting in Orlando in the U.S. reflects a part of a society that is becoming radical.

He defined "The Internet of Us" as an era where people are forced into a network called Internet. He predicted that if the age of the Internet of Things passes, the functions that allow access to the Interest will go into a human being's body.

He said this was no metaphor, stressing that it is already happening. He pointed to former Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page who said he will create an era where electrode is stuck into a human's brain to access to the Internet.

Professor Lynch expressed concerns that dependence on Internet knowledge has made people increasingly think shallow. He said that the Internet has forced people to accept only what they like, leading to the disappearance of an open attitude, threatening democracy.

He said the Internet era's paradox is that people know so many things now but less understand each other and about the world, adding people should refrain from accepting knowledge unconditionally but demand for and find about by themselves reasonable reasons.

He advised that people could try to find information without the help from the Internet, while imagining ways to do so.

When people do this, they will begin to question things that they have taken for granted and think about real knowledge, he said, adding that critical thinking and understanding are an important way to true knowledge.

손효림기자 aryssong@donga.com