I agree completely with my son James when he says 'Internet is

The magnate and visionary Kerry Packer, one of the most influential figures in Australia’s media history, once echoed his son’s profound observation: “I agree completely with my son James when he says, ‘Internet is like electricity. The latter lights up everything, while the former lights up knowledge.’” In this elegant and modern metaphor, we hear the wisdom of an age-old truth reborn—the truth that every great invention is not an end in itself, but a light that reveals new worlds to the human spirit. Electricity illuminated the physical realm, banishing the night from our cities and homes; but the Internet, that vast and living network of thought, illuminates the realm of the mind, driving away the shadows of ignorance.

The origin of this quote lies in the legacy of a family that built empires from information itself. Kerry Packer, a titan of the media industry, lived in the age when the world first began to shift from ink and broadcast to the boundless frontier of the digital. His son, James Packer, grew up in that transition and saw what many could not yet see—that the Internet, like electricity, was not merely a tool but a revolution, a force that would transform civilization at its roots. Kerry’s agreement with his son’s words was not mere approval—it was the recognition of truth spoken across generations: that the light of the mind is the most powerful illumination of all.

Electricity changed the course of human destiny. Before it, the night was ruled by darkness and danger; after it, humanity could work, create, and connect without the boundaries of time. The cities of the world shone like constellations upon the earth. In the same way, the Internet has transformed the darkness of ignorance into a landscape of infinite possibility. Where once a person’s understanding was confined to the walls of their school or the limits of their library, now every seeker of knowledge may reach across oceans in an instant. The Internet lights up knowledge, connecting minds as electricity connects lamps—each one glowing brighter by the shared current of information.

Yet, like all great powers, this light carries both promise and peril. Electricity, when tamed, gives life; when misused, it destroys. So too the Internet, born to enlighten, can be twisted into a force of confusion or deceit. Kerry Packer’s reflection contains both admiration and caution, for he knew the double edge of innovation. The ancients once spoke of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods to give it to mankind. That fire was both gift and burden—warming the body but capable of burning the world. The Internet is such a fire: a Promethean gift that demands wisdom in its use. To light the mind is not enough; one must also guide the heart.

Consider the story of the printing press, another light that once illuminated the world. When Gutenberg’s invention spread knowledge to the masses, it ignited an age of enlightenment—but also of turmoil, as ideas clashed and faiths were shaken. Yet through that fire, civilization was reborn. The Internet, in our own time, is the printing press reborn a thousandfold—instant, universal, and unbounded. It gives voice to the silenced and sight to the blind. But as in all ages, the responsibility lies with those who receive the light. To seek truth amid abundance is the modern test of wisdom.

Thus, Kerry and James Packer’s insight is not merely a comment on technology—it is a parable for the soul. The light of knowledge must be tended as carefully as a flame. The Internet may open every door, but only those who seek with discernment will find the rooms worth entering. Just as electricity must be directed through wires and circuits to bring order from chaos, so too must human intention direct the flow of knowledge, lest it become a flood that drowns understanding instead of nurturing it.

O listener, let this be your reflection: technology is only as noble as the purpose it serves. The Internet may light up knowledge, but it is you who must decide what to do with that light. Use it not for vanity or division, but for learning, compassion, and the pursuit of truth. Build bridges of understanding where once there were walls of ignorance. Illuminate the minds of others as your own has been illuminated. For knowledge, like light, is not meant to be hoarded—it is meant to shine outward, warming the world it touches.

Thus, the wisdom of Kerry Packer and his son James becomes timeless: the Internet, like electricity, is a gift of light—but its true power lies in the heart that uses it. To live in this age is to hold both candle and flame. Use it to see, to learn, and to guide others toward clarity. For when knowledge lights the world, ignorance recedes, and humanity, once blind in the dark, can finally behold its own reflection in the radiant glow of understanding.