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Net Culture > Articles
America, Myth, and the Internet
Cindy Grant03/00
According to psychoanalyst Rollo May, “A myth is a way of making sense in a senseless world.” Myths are central to society; they enable an individual to develop a healthy identity and a sense of moral values. Many Americans falsely believe we are free from myths, and that mythology exists only in ‘ancient’ cultures. We are, in fact, surrounded by both healthy and unhealthy myths.
The ‘Great American Myth’ is the ‘American Dream.’ Over the last few hundred years, immigrants have populated America, eager to begin a new life, full of ambition and hopes. The American Dream created the lone cowboy myth – John Wayne, Lone Ranger, and Tom Cruise in Top Gun. We are given the sense that it’s okay, even admirable, to function as a lonely but self-reliant individual.
Our forefathers, we are taught, came to the ‘new land’ in search for a better life. The American Dream also perpetuates a drive for change and a desire for the new. We can all relate to this concept. How many of us have self medicated boredom or depression with a new outfit or a new gadget? Both of these myths – loneliness and change – have shaped the way Americans have related to computers and the Internet over the last decade.
Internet usage reinforces the loneliness myth. There are fewer activities that are as individual-oriented and readily accessible as operating a computer. Contrast net surfing with activities such as sports, quilting, and gardening, for example. With the Internet, an individual is free to go where he chooses, without the assistance of others. The experience is uniquely yours since you chose which path to take.
Eager to seek change and seduced by new, we Americans are excited by the radically novel environment developed in cyberspace. This is a frontier we can explore, much like our forefathers and American folklore heroes.
Of course, the Internet is worldwide and is not limited to Americans. However, myths and values must be considered when evaluating Internet usage with any culture.