Since the apparition of the Internet, people had unlimited access to valuable information that was difficult to reach in the past. Libraries were the only complete informational sources that people have, considering that books were not accessible to everyone. In certain times, books were even banned and people did not have the chance to educate themselves. This is what makes Internet a wonder – people can access all sorts of information with just a few clicks here and there. Too bad that most children and young adults are not using the Internet in a productive manner, and they engage in mindless scrolling instead.
Most of their time goes on social media platforms which are rarely educative, and on websites that have no direct influence on their knowledge. Generation Z doesn’t take enough advantage of the many benefits that Internet comes with. As Henry Ford said, anyone who keeps learning stays young. If you try to learn something new every single day of your life, your mind will thank you in later years. Your memory will improve and you’ll also impress the people around you with your extensive knowledge. Taking this opportunity and using the information around you to better yourself is absolutely paramount, considering that your ancestors didn’t have the chance to do that. People got used with the convenience of having information at one click away, and they are no longer motivated to acknowledge that information instead of looking it up each time they need it. This is a mini-guide on how to use the information you can find on the Internet in a productive manner:
Check Source Reliability
First things first, you must know that not everything that’s uploaded on websites consists of reliable information. In many situations, the Internet is used as a tool of manipulation, making people believe information that is not – in fact – real. Learning how to choose reliable sources of information is paramount before starting the journey of learning something new each day. Checking your sources should start with researching the background of the publisher.
If the website is somehow related to government agencies, universities, popular publishing houses or other trustworthy sources that you know they won’t share wrong information with their audience. Many articles have the sole purpose of advertising a product or emphasizing certain services, so you must be able to distinguish quality content from the one that’s used for promotion or SEO purposes. Depending on the content’s purpose, its validity will be questioned or not. Proper grammar is another factor you should keep an eye on. Premium sources can’t afford to make mistakes or generalize when publishing their content. After selecting your sources, it’s time to learn how to use them to improve your knowledge.
Developing Opinions and Changing World Views
Internet can help you in the most obvious way possible – teaching you how to form personal opinions and how to perceive the world uniquely. People who are not educated or who didn’t get the chance to witness many situations can fill in these gaps using the information they find online. People with poor general knowledge are not capable of forming relevant opinions and world views, and – even though this is rough to admit – their decision-making skills are affected. This is why it’s best to remain up to date with all sorts of events and assimilate as much knowledge as possible.
If you start reading a lot from reliable sources, you’ll start forming opinions about topics that were previously out of your reach. By expanding your knowledge in various domains, your world views will change and you might change as a person too. Taking advantage of all the reliable information that can be found online is essential for a fast, efficient self-development process. You don’t need a lot of money to buy books, you don’t need to know a lot of people – you just have to do your research by typing in a few keywords and clicking here and there.
Stepping Away from Brick-and-Mortar Schools
There is a huge misconception among people, which involves the fact that people can’t learn outside the brick-and-mortar schools, and that learning stops once they graduate from all forms of schooling. This is entirely false and it’s the worst way to perceive education and improvement. You should learn new things each and every day of your life, regardless of the form you select for doing so. The Internet is just one of the many resources that you can use to improve your knowledge.
Its expansive form allows you to choose anything you want to study. If you want to simply learn chemistry online, you can do it. If you want to start your own business, the Internet gives you clear guides on how to do it. There’s nothing you can’t find online. It’s a source of information that shouldn’t be neglected in any way. Regardless of your purpose in life, traditional schools are not there to limit you, but to teach you how to study, so that you can take advantage of other sources of information that may show in your path. It takes determination and motivation to learn by yourself, but if you are aware of the benefits that knowledge brings to the table, that won’t be an issue.
Self-Improvement Through Apps and Websites
Finally, if you don’t know where to start with selecting your information, you can download one of the myriads of apps for your phone or desktop, that will select what’s relevant for you. Moreover, there are so many websites out there that are only meant to educate their visitors that you’ll find it difficult to choose. If people in the past had the access this generation has to information, the world would be a totally different place at the moment, so enjoy the freedom that you have and take advantage of it in all modalities possible. Information is key to everything, and – as long as you pursue it – you have everything you need to become the best version of you.
