Preference in the Virtual Age

The internet is not my usual preferred habitat. Truthfully, this blog post is not my preferred medium for effectively communicating or sharing ideas. If I could have it my way, and give in to my own self-interests, we would all be in a field or a forest somewhere having a nice chat face-to-face. But maybe that is just the tree-hugger in me talking.

The internet is known as a global network of networks, essentially a tool that connects computers together. Yet so often, we characterize the internet as being a tangible place; a landscape that exists in and of itself beyond its intended function. I know plenty of people who spend far more time on a computer than they do interacting in real-world environments. I may not like it, but I spend a lot of time on the internet too. Preference is defined as an assessment of the information processing potential of an environment that is innate, immediate, and universal (not an assessment of personal taste). The internet has many undeniable benefits, such as easy access to droves of new information, storage of old information, and the capability for quick, instantaneous communication. As soon as a person becomes aware of what the internet is and the scope of its ability to access and communicate information, there is an innate interest by almost everyone, even someone like me who may not like its functioning, to go on the internet as soon as is convenient so I can access and process new information. If an environment's potential to provide information is involved in measuring its preferability, then there is no greater source of information that is as easily accessible as the internet. So in a way, maybe I do have some preference for being on the internet. 

But is it actually a place? It seems to be its own environment, as people can enter or leave its domain at their own leisure. A grocery store is a place- you can go there, buy resources, talk to people you know, meet some new people (if that's your thing), or even learn something new. You could do the exact same things on the internet. I have wondered to myself on a few occasions: where is the internet? I know that I am able to observe its existence with my sight and hearing and thus acknowledge it spatially, but I have yet to touch, taste, or smell the internet. It may not exist necessarily as a physical form, but it still conveys information and distinguishes itself as a distinct entity. 

So is a virtual habitat just as impactful as a physical habitat? I would argue that the internet has been completely revolutionary to human society in changing how we communicate and process information. It has also become a platform for people to shape and expand their identities. I would not consider it a stretch to say that if we can view the internet as an environment, then it has certainly become a highly preferred one. Aligning with Prospect-Refuge Theory of Preference, the internet is fully capable of seeing others without being seen yourself. In Habitat Selection Theory of Preference, direct assessment of providing goods necessary for survival is what signifies a preferred habitat. The internet has access to buying almost any object or resource imaginable, so it contains the capacity to provide almost any good or resource. According to Environmental Preference Theory, the most preferred habitats are those that demonstrate all 4 elements of understanding and exploration- coherence, legibility, complexity, and mystery. The internet is built around wayfinding capacity and identifiable elements, and has coherence in its design to be easily navigable. It also displays legibility in how we can easily navigate to new places/websites, with each webpage being its own distinct location, and we can come back to or leave these places easily. It has enough information to always keep us interested, with the diversity and sheer amount of information/content making it worthwhile to almost anyone for a long period of time. So it most certainly has complexity. The internet's wealth and diversity of content promises us the opportunity to always have more information, and its capacity for future exploration gives it an aspect of mystery. If we operate under the notion that the internet is indeed its own habitat, then it is reasonable to think that it would be a highly preferred one based on the criteria. 

In the evolutionary history of humanity, we have built our behavior based on the environments around us. Today, humanity has crafted its own artificial, virtual environment. Essentially, it is an amalgamation of all known environments and information while simultaneously being its own unique habitat that inspires its own subset of behavior. Based on how the environments of our evolutionary past have influenced our behavior, how do you think the internet's development and rise to prominence has affected our behavioral tendencies? What do you think of the idea that virtual habitats might be replacing real habitats? How do you think the internet and growing virtual technology might affect us in the future? Can you think of any argument that would contradict the notion that the internet is an environment, or that it is not significantly preferable?