The drawbacks of accessible computing (e.g. shortened attention span, low-quality media consumption) are vastly outweighed by its potential to allow people soci

The drawbacks of accessible computing (e.g. shortened attention span, low-quality media consumption) are vastly outweighed by its potential to allow people social mobility and learn new skills they wouldn't have otherwise. If I were born in an era before computers and the internet, it's unlikely I would have experienced the best works of classical music and hip hop; explored poetry and the great classical books; and taught myself professional skills and improved academically with access to textbooks and online lecture courses. I suppose it's possible I could have looked for real-life pockets of communities where these are celebrated, went to a physical library, and asked for help at a community college. But more likely, I would've just copied what my family and peers were doing when I was younger and missed out on so much growth, because of a lack of connection to people passionate about these things that the internet provided.