How does the Internet affect creativity?
Is the internet killing creativity? I think otherwise.
In today’s world internet has become an integral part of our life. We rely on it for our basic day-to-day activities. From ordering food to conducting complex research we are dependent on the internet. The internet has been one of the most significant inventions in recent human history. It has changed the world for good or for the worse. The potential of the internet is immense, so much so that a human brain can’t even fathom it. It is an immense collection of knowledge, ideas, information & inspiration. It also provides us with tools to use that knowledge in the most efficient way possible. Collaboration and communication have been one of the best outcomes of the internet, and these are the tools that creative people need most.
In discussions about creativity and the internet, we are often told that the internet and technology are making us less creative, when in fact, as per various reports and studies; it has just the opposite effect. In fact, it makes us more creative when used correctly. Although everything has its downsides, here the positive effects far outweigh the negative ones. The Internet gives people easy access to tools that contribute to creativity. Let me prove this to you using a few points. But first, let’s understand what is creativity.
As per the report by California state university, Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. Simply put, creativity is devising something new with the power of imagination and using that to solve problems, communicate, entertain, or educate. If a person wants to be creative they should have a different perspective of the things around them. Using the power of your imagination is not an easy task and accomplishing it requires years of hard work and practice. Hard work is in your own hands and it needs time, but practice can be improved by using the right methods and by learning from people who have years of experience. And the internet helps us in improving our creative practice and to learn from people around the world.
Point 1 — The Internet is a platform for creative people.
- We live in a time where showing your creativity is the easiest it has ever been in human existence. Just a few decades ago, people had very limited ways to share their work with a wider audience. But, with the advancement of technology and the widespread use of the internet around the world, this problem is almost nonexistent. Showing creativity has become as easy as taking a stroll in the park. YouTube and other social media sites allow people to share their creativity around the world with just a few clicks.
- Due to the Internet’s global reach, people with talent can now showcase their creativity anywhere. Because of that, the Internet has become the new home for talented people, as they get worldwide recognition, inspiring others to be creative and showcase their talents online.
- In ancient times, only a few recognized and well-renowned artists got the fame and recognition they deserved, most very talented artists who had no means to share their work were unrecognized. But because of the internet if you have the smallest ability to create something new and to share that with the world, then the world will appreciate your talents and also provide you with necessary criticism to help you improve your work.
Point 2 — Finding inspiration is a very important part of creativity and the internet is full of it.
- A creative brain is like a beautifully designed car. It needs constant fuel to work as efficiently as possible. And the fuel for a creative brain is an inspiration. Before the era of the internet, people will search their surrounding looking for inspiration that can help them in their creative process, studying other people’s work and finding inspiration in them. But the internet has made the process of finding inspiration 100 times better and more efficient.
- The internet gives people more direct, constant, and wide-ranging access to information, which can inspire creative solutions and projects. Access to abundant ideas can be inspirational to the creative process. With the internet, inspiration and encouragement are easily accessible to creative minds. A writer can easily and more efficiently do the research for his book on the Internet as compared to traditional on-ground research. An artist can easily use the internet to create ideas for his next art and a filmmaker can study the work of others and use that in his own way to tell great stories.
- After the introduction of the Internet, the world has changed a lot. Earlier people struggled to find information and the only sources of information were books, teachers, mentors or depending on others for information which was quite a time-consuming and inefficient method. The Internet has become a treasure trove of information in creative work due to technological advances and collaboration between millions of people.
Point 3 — The Internet provides tools to create and collaborate.
- Human imagination is endless but there is limited potential in a person to harness that endless imagination, to improve and become better everyone needs to collaborate with other humans. Whether it’s learning from someone, working alongside someone, teaching someone or just taking others’ opinions on how to improve your work. Collaboration has always been an important part of human nature. From the early human era, humans are used to working with other humans for survival and society. But in this modern era of the internet and technology, collaborations are not only for society and survival it is for learning something from the world and teaching the world something you know.
- Nowadays, we can learn and share with people from around the world in seconds, unlike at any other time in history. Collaboration is powerful, and the internet allows us to collaborate with 1.5 billion people and take inspiration from their work to create something new and innovative. The internet provides individuals with tools to share and develop their creativity. YouTube, social media apps and blogs are a few examples of free and accessible websites that encourage creativity.
Correlation between the internet and creativity in this modern world.
- In today’s world, creative people have just 2 options. Either to show their work to the world using the power of the internet or to live in their own bubble waiting for the world to recognize their talent. Most people in today’s world will choose 1st option because most of us are growing up in the age of the internet and see nothing wrong with showing our work to the world using it. But the people who choose 2nd option aren’t wrong either, they are just different. It doesn’t make their creativity less than the person who is showing their work. It just makes them different.
- With the rise of the internet, it has brought a revolution in the creative field. It has completely changed the way people create and consume creative content.
Negative effects of the Internet on creativity.
- The Internet has made life easier for humans since all information is readily available with just one click. However, we have become overly reliant on the internet for even the smallest tasks in life, which curtails our creativity as we cannot think outside the box. Nowadays, everything is available on the internet, so people do not make any effort to use creativity and waste their time; whereas, earlier people did not have the internet, so their minds were able to think outside of the box and try new ideas without being judged, as there was no wrong way to do a task, so everyone could use their creativity. They don’t think of problems and how they can be solved — they go straight to Google for information. And if they can’t find what they’re looking for, they become impatient.
- Information can only be provided by the Internet, but it is up to the individual how they make use of it. Using that information as an inspiration to fuel the creative process is the right way to go, but people just want to copy others’ work and not use their own brains, which can not only kill the creativity in themselves but also discourage other people to create original work.
- Of course, the internet is not responsible for its impact. It is important to consider the impact of the internet on one’s own creative processes and act accordingly. When necessary, unplug from the internet. The Internet is nothing but a bunch of people sitting in front of their screens doing nothing.
Share your thoughts on this topic with me in the comments.
Thank you for reading.
