Deep Thoughts Thought

I just realized that our child will never know a world without internet.

How will this affect their development? Will they be on their ass all day in front of a monitor, much like we were in front of the television and our Nintendo, averse to sunlight and physical activity? Or will the internet open up a whole other world of activities and opportunities that didn't exist for us, like Parcour. Or Jackass stunts.

How will this affect their attention span? Will they ever be able to form a complete thought before left-clicking or scrolling on to the next incomplete thought? Or maybe they will become hyper-intelligent - able to digest information at a ludicrous rate, like Mila Jovovich in The Fifth Element?

How will this affect their morals? It is commonly accepted that the internet is the most amoral environment outside of say, Lower Sackville (cue rimshot) - so with the rampant pornography (I'm not naive enough to think they won't find it eventually), how will they treat/respect the opposite sex? With all of the torrenting and pirating - how will they consider the value of money and consumer goods? Privacy? Security? Aack.

Finally, as something of an internet junkie, how am I to set a good example?

I imagine this will play out in ways that I am not near-intelligent enough to consider. Like, maybe they'll possess or develop an understanding of computers and electronics that will lead to fully-realized A.I., which will lead to the end of humankind as we know it. Maybe. Or maybe they'll man a simple blog. Or take up gymnastics or curling.

It was this terrifying article that brought this on:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03trolls-t.html