It seems the newest 21st century headache is the Internet.

Friday, March 22, 2002

It seems the newest 21st century headache is the Internet.

Yet, as far as planning a vacation goes, it’s definitely a nice tool to have.

Kind of like cable TV.

Growing up in the country, we never had cable. It was about half a dozen channels, plus PBS.

We really never thought much about it.

When the Chicago Bulls game would be on cable, my dad would listen to it on the radio, while I went to my friend’s house and watched it there.

Then, I started college. Of course, included in the tuition was cable.

After watching it for two weeks straight, I went home with a revelation.

"Mom, Dad. You’ve gotta get this cable."

The same applies with the Internet. Right now, I’m typing this column in the privacy of my home. I’ve got the basketball game on in the background, and I’m wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants.

Kinda hard to do that at work.

But, as long as it’s used right, the Internet offers a treasure trove of information. I also have it to thank for an upcoming trip this fall.

I called around to different travel agents and airlines, and found a roundtrip from Minneapolis to London was going from anywhere from $650 to $900.

Ouch.

But I hopped online and did some digging on my own. It took about a month of searching, but it paid off. I was able to score a ticket for a shade over $400. Plus, when I leave, I got the option to fly out of Paris instead of London, which usually costs more.

I have to chuckle at times when I hear people spew forth fire and brimstone about how the Internet is a tool of evil and can cause all sorts of problems.

Families are breaking up because the husband/wife/child is always in a chat room and can’t get away.

Puh-leaze.

If you wanted to make the same argument, the same could be said about television.

Folks watch TV all the time. Couch potato and channel surfing have become a part of our daily vocabulary.

But what about all the sporting events or soap operas or cartoon networks, that these some family members just can’t get enough of?

Here’s a reality check for those who don’t realize.

People watch TV. A lot. Probably a lot more than they should.

Next thing you know, people will be on the Internet a lot more than they are today. Maybe not as much at TV, though

The moral of this story?

The times, they are a-changin’, like it or not.

And in 30 years, there will be more fire and brimstone for us to hash over.

Dan Fields’ column appears Fridays in the Herald.