Individuality and the Internet
The internet has created a world where virtually every piece of information is available on a universally accessible platform. This international community gives rise to an atmosphere where trends and styles are immediately broadcast to the world. Ideals and habits are no longer confined to certain areas but spread throughout the world rapidly. In many ways, the internet has ushered in an international age that has created uniformity in the way people dress, think, and view the world. J.S Mill discusses the idea of individuality in his book On Liberty. Mill analyzes individuality and expresses the human need for some level of eccentricity. Mill stresses the fact that individuality is one of the fundamental components of human happiness. His main point is that individuality is imperative to social and individual evolution. The internet, in many ways, brings about new ideas and introduces the public to many points of knowledge. However in the same respect the internet often detracts from a person’s individuality and originality by imposing uniformity. In this paper I will argue that Mill’s idea of individuality and its benefits to society do not coexist well in the same world as the internet. John Stuart Mill writes that individuality should be asserted in matters, “which do not primarily concern others” (Mill, 54). The only way a person can truly cultivate his or her individuality and become a more complete human is to look within him or herself regarding matters that are not of concern to others This allows them to become more complete. Only by looking within can a person discover what they want and thus grow as a person by becoming more familiar with himself. Mill states that individuality is necessary for a progressive society in the same way that it is necessary for a progressive and ever-evolving human. He argues that society holds individuality in low regard, which is problematic. According to Mill the idea that individuality is regarded as a hindrance to the social order that is put in place as a way to control the population by encouraging uniformity and condemning Socratic questioning. The internet is a resource that allows people to easily discover the answers to problems or to visualize a trend and follow it. In this era, the majority of the population does not dare to stray from the traditionally followed path and prefers to remain within the boundaries of what they believe to be socially acceptable or “cool”. The millions of high school students wearing the same clothes in the same styles exemplify this tendency. This phenomenon is exactly what Mill fears. The internet encourages this because it is used as an advertising tool that shows what the “correct” or “popular” path is. The internet poses a significant challenge to individuality because it takes away from the self-discovery that is necessary for personal development. For a person to fully employ all of his abilities and in turn become closer to realizing his full potential, he must decide which courses of action are most suitable through his own process of deliberation and discovery. If he does not do this he is merely relying on the thoughts of others to guide him, and is not using his mind to the fullest potential. Mill describes this lack of initiative and originality in On Liberty, he writes “He who lets the world, or his own portion of it, choose his plan of life for him has no need of any other faculty than the ape-like one of imitation” (Mill,56). Imitation is a simple recourse for those who do not wish to use the time and effort to dig within and achieve personal progress. The internet provides a foundation for imitation because it offers easily accessible information that is available to copy. Mill does not assert that there is no room for interaction between people when progressing in life, in fact, he encourages it. The internet is still a hindrance because it allows answers to be found easily and quickly. If there is no effort to research and find the truth then no progress is made. In present times the internet is not dedicated solely to the publication of information. In many respects the internet has become just as much about pop culture and entertainment as it has about obtaining previously inaccessible truths. It has become exceedingly simple to log on to the internet and become distracted by mundane and useless information. It seems that the second a webpage is opened the user is bombarded by pictures of celebrities, the newest styles in fashion, the newest fads in religion and health, and how to best raise one’s child. Areas of life that were previously a matter of individual decision-making are now becoming uniform topics that are discussed throughout the web. The more these ideas are advertised, the more they are imitated. And thus, the less originality there is. As imitation increases the closer society becomes to uniformity. Cass Sunstein addresses the idea of change inspired by the internet in Democracy and the Internet, “Cascade effects are common on the internet… It is obvious that many social groups, both large and small, seem to move both rapidly and dramatically in the direction of one or another set of beliefs or actions,” (Sunstein,103) . Sunstein touches on an important negative factor of the internet that supports the conclusion that the internet spreads information rapidly creating groups of individuals that have the same knowledge and beliefs. Conceptions of beauty is one example of an area of life that would normally be confined to the individuality of personal thought, but is now formed by the internet. Beauty is constantly in the limelight on the internet. Perceptions of what constitutes beauty are shown on the internet at all times. The internet and the laziness that it inspires in our use of it have created a uniform idea of what true beauty is and it has also provided the ideal forum for the imitation of beauty. Because of the internet and the widespread thoughts of a set idea of what is socially accepted as beauty, society has become unimaginative and accepts only certain definitions of beauty. Just as Mill hypothesized, society fails to progress due to the constant ape-like imitation brought on by the wide-spread advertisements of the internet. Without the forum of the internet, people would have a greater opportunity to use their faculties to observe and create their own idea of what can be beautiful. Through this process people achieve personal growth and also catalyze social progression by questioning the institution of the government. By promoting imitation and uniformity, the internet allows people to avoid using their full abilities to choose their own course of actions, and ultimately prevents social and personal progress. The character of mankind is often developed through experience and the reaction to what we experience. Mill discusses this point when analyzing the importance of individuality. He describes it thus, “it is the privilege and proper condition of a human being, arrived at the maturity of his faculties, to use and interpret experience in his own way” (Mill,55). This includes personal experience in everyday situations as well as how one reacts to personal and large-scale crisis. The internet is a space where each and every occurrence is discussed and analyzed completely. It minimizes the need for personal reflection and thought. Some would argue that the wealth of information available on the internet requires a more intense search for truth. While this is true, it is only applicable to certain individuals who are motivated enough to attempt to find the real truth. For many the ease of information takes away the drive to come to a personal conclusion. Herein lays the danger of the internet. The lack of drive that is ingrained in our modern society is the root cause of why the internet and Mill’s individualism have difficulty co-existing. . Large-scale crises are immediately analyzed in all forms of media. People are told what to think, how to react, and what actions they should take in response. In many instances, very little thinking is required by the citizenry. An individual has no need to create a personal and original response to an action because it is easier to follow the trends that are so readily showcased through the internet and other mainstream media options. When people follow in the footsteps of the majority rather than coming up with an individual response to a stimulus, personal growth and individuality suffers, while the uniformity that J.S. Mill fears triumphs.
The internet also takes away opportunities for individual growth through individuality regarding tradition. Religious tradition and ways of thought are often forced upon others. In many ways this is done through the internet. Chain e-mails and advertisements press private thoughts into the facets of everyday life. This dilutes the integrity of important matters of individual choice that are vital to the character of the individual. Traditions and religion are ways of life that are often specific to a certain area that has cultivated a specific way of thought for many generations. These traditions have been created based on a certain way of life and are not applicable to the entire human population. The internet makes these ideas available to everyone and in many ways forces them upon people. It gives people the opportunity to draw on the experiences of others rather than to create their own. A counter-argument to this point would be that the internet provides choice to those who seek it. This can be a valid point but religion and tradition are important facets of life that should be discovered through exploration of the mind and soul, not a few clicks of a mouse. The following quote from Mill seems to agree with this idea. Mill describes tradition thus: “The traditions and customs of other people are, to a certain extent, evidence of what their experience has taught them--…their interpretation of experience may be correct, but unsuitable” (Mill,55). Mill goes on to argue that conforming to the customs of others just for the sake of custom does not develop any of the qualities bestowed upon the human race. The internet succeeds in convincing people to conform to customs that are often unsuitable to them. It also popularizes certain customs and in some cases creates a fad that is followed by the masses. The internet reduces the importance of tradition by reducing the likelihood that individuals create their own traditions and customs based on their own experiences. J.S Mill argues his points from the view-point of liberalism. Anarchism is a political philosophy that emphasizes the romantic necessity of self-development and individuality. It critiques liberalism for being too collectivist and not having enough room for individual freedom. The power of the individual is emphasized as integrally important. In this philosophy the idea of self-development is extremely important. Much like with Mill’s theory of individualism, the internet provides a difficult society for anarchy to exist in. The internet reduces self-development by allowing people to come to conclusions without going through the trial and error process that leads to personal growth. This does not work in an anarchist society because the lack of self-development lessens the power of the individual, which is of utmost importance. In anarchy individual power is of the utmost importance and without it an anarchist society can’t function. The internet provides a forum that allows for people to interact throughout the world and share ideas and experiences. To many it would seem that the internet is a tool that presents information and increases the need for research to discern the truth. One can also argue the wealth of information available online promotes individuality, because everyone has access to information and can search for what suits them individually. This is a valid counter-argument and at times is true. The level of truth to both the argument stated in this paper and the counter-argument above are almost completely based on the individual. If a person uses the internet to explore options and then pushes further to find the truth then his individuality remains intact. But if used lazily the internet can be a pitfall to development. When used in this way the internet serves to reduce the originality of a person and therefore reduces the development of that person and in turn handicaps all of society. J.S Mill describes human evolution in On Liberty, “It is not by wearing down into uniformity all that is individual in themselves, but by cultivating it and calling it forth, within the limits imposed by the rights and interests of others, that human beings become a noble and beautiful object of contemplation” (Mill, 60). The internet can stunt the internal growth of humanity because it creates uniformity in the way people think and how they interpret experience. Individuals can only undergo the type of personal growth and development described by Mill through individual experience. Because of the general trend of idleness in the modern public, the internet’s benefits are less bountiful because the ease of accessing information overrides the pure depth of information. People decline to search for the truth actively in exchange for simplicity of access. The internet and its impact on modern society are incompatible with J.S. Mill’s theory of individualism.