The Impact of the Internet (and pre-existing human nature on Truth-Seeking

Many individuals exhibit poor epistemic practices, largely unaffected because the search for truth is not a daily necessity for them. The internet plays a dual role by facilitating both the sharing of information and the crafting of subjective narratives, leading to a distortion of truth. Due to the ease of internet access, people can create personalized interpretations of reality, often disregarding objective facts. The human tendency to frame beliefs around convenience undermines rigorous truth-seeking, allowing small lies to pave the way for larger fabrications. This selective belief reinforces an illusion of objective truth, with users unaware of the emotional and psychological implications of their information consumption. The prevalence of edited and misleading content complicates the pursuit of genuine truth, as people often rely on gratifying narratives rather than accurate representations. This highlights a significant disconnect between the perceived objective nature of truth and the subjective ways individuals process and accept information online.