When I mentioned on Google+ that I was thinking about using The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for my fiction book, Dr. Burton posted that I might consider making the connection of the split worlds. I intend to do just that!
Dr. Jekyll postulates that every human consists of two separate natures: pure good and pure evil. He explains that these two natures are in constant conflict with one another. He theorizes that if these two natures were separated, the pure good half would be unimpeded in its with to do good for mankind, and the world would be a better place.
With this view in mind, Jekyll creates a potion that will split his personalities. However, at the moment when Jekyll actually consumes the potion, his motives are not pure. He anticipates the guilt-free fun that he will have as his "evil" self. Because of this, his personality is split in a slightly different way than he expected: his pure evil self is indeed made to be a separate entity, but his other identity remains much as it ever was, with all its grey areas.
The world is much like human nature: full of good, evil, and the grey areas. The Digital World is no exception. The internet is a marvelous thing, full of potential in both directions. As with Dr. Jekyll, it is our intentions that will determine our experience when venturing out into the Wide Internet World. We have a choice: to be productive and improve ourselves and the world, or to waste a lot of time or venture into the darker areas of the internet.
I think you could add to your ideas in that there are those who see the internet as black and white: good or bad; yet, there is no clear line. We cannot fully separate these sides of ourselves or the internet. One cannot exist without the other. Were we to enact laws that made it impossible for "evil" sites to be constructed or viewed, everything else would be limited as well. Besides, "evil" will always find a way through; it's human nature
ReplyDeleteExcellent point.
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