Have you ever stopped to think about all the ways technology has changed our lives? It’s mind-boggling. Thanks to the Internet, we never have to leave our homes. We can buy food, clothes and cars online. Through social networking and dating sites, we can make new friends and even screen potential mates while lounging in our pajamas. You can even order a pizza online. 

With all of the information at surfers’ fingertips, it’s not unusual for people to turn to the Internet for answers to their problems, big or small. Thanks to the Internet, everyone’s an expert.

One of my roommates, for example, will occasionally visit one of those Web sites where people post questions about a variety of topics, hoping someone, with some knowledge, will respond with a solution to their query. Posters ask about everything from car trouble to movie titles, from advice for dealing with teenagers to overcoming sadness.

More recently, my roommate, who works in an oral surgery office, was online answering people’s dental questions. She declined to pass on my advice, which was simply: brush your teeth. Hopefully, people are not pulling their own teeth at home. 

I frequently turn to the Internet for all kinds of recipes, from risotto to exfoliating facial scrubs, but I have yet to use the net for medical advice or help with emotional hurdles. People go to therapists because sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger than a friend or a family member. I suppose that is why some people will post all the details of a recent breakup online. 

Sometimes, after hearing a song for the first time, I will look up the lyrics online. More often than not, previous visitors to the site have written about how the song relates to their individual lives and no detail is too small or too personal. 

 A common response to breakup songs is “this song explains exactly what I’m going through right now,” followed by, “I know I need to move on” and then more information. I don’t know what people expect to get out of sharing these little tidbits with strangers, but apparently those Web sites provide a safe, anonymous way to vent. Sometimes people respond to each other and these sites become virtual group therapy sessions.

Don’t people visit the self-help section of their local bookstores anymore? Is anyone unloading on friends over coffee or a cocktail? Or are we all online?

Maybe I’m not a trusting individual, but I wouldn’t think much of advice from strangers - especially strangers with screen names like pookiebear123. Is pookiebear123 going to drag you out of your house and force you to face the world again? I don’t think so. 

So I think I’ll continue to use the Internet for shopping, email and news updates, but when it comes to advice, I’ll stick to my friends and family, who haven’t steered me wrong yet. If they can’t help me out of a funk, I can always go online and order a pizza.  

- Amanda Estes