Posted by Friend [Friend] on November 16, 1999 at 19:46:32 {pRztWiaeukhxaL3hj3H2OgnjR4Br/g}:
In Reply to: The future of the WTS posted by Seeker on November 16, 1999 at 18:44:24:
Seeker
Yes, the Net will have an impact in the more developed countries, but Witnesses will quickly tell their students to stay away from 'bad sites', just as they now tell them right away to expect their relatives to 'discourage' them from studying.
The difference between discouraging relatives and the Internet is that the Internet does not fight, argue or afflict you. People do not feel threatened/intimidated by the Internet as they do by family and close friends. All they have to do is depart from sites they consider threatening, which tends to take the threat away. For that reason the Society is concerned about influence from tools like the Internet.
One other aspect making the Internet a considerable force is that telling people they should steer clear of it is like telling them, "The paint is wet." Curiosity will influence a checking out of things even more so. The only choice will be to deal with issues raised. The question is when that will be done and at what pace.
Expectations are that, until issues are dealt with substantively, decreases in developed lands will continue. There are forecasts that some return to the positive can be accomplished by discouraging Internet usage. The same forecasts indicate a sharp turn again to the negative unless issues are addressed substantively.
Friend