Readers reply: should we turn the internet off?

"The internet has turned fringe belief into mainstream politics and policy from authoritarianism to vaccines. With democracy itself threatened, is it time to go back to a previous world of landlines, letters and face-to-face-contact, audiotapes and Ansaphones? What would we miss about the online world that is worth the risk to liberal culture and basic freedoms? Should we turn the internet off?"

"I won't be the first to point out what the internet has offered to disabled people. It's a place where someone I know, who finds speaking nearly impossible due to physical challenges, can be fluent, authoritative and, most importantly, properly listened to at last. And that's just one example. It's not for me or anyone else to take that away."

The internet has enabled fringe beliefs to enter mainstream politics and shaped policy debates on issues from authoritarianism to vaccines. Concern exists that online dynamics threaten democratic institutions and basic freedoms. Some propose returning to pre-internet modes of communication such as landlines, letters and face-to-face contact to protect liberal culture. Others emphasize everyday benefits including global news access, online shopping, messaging family, mapping services and accommodations for disabled people. The internet provides communities and anonymity that can free closeted queer and trans people and give voice to those with speech impairments. The debate focuses on balancing misinformation harms against social inclusion and practical conveniences.

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