What you learned in school
Technology and business classes in the early 1990s often dismissed the internet as a temporary novelty with limited practical applications. Students learned about it as an academic curiosity mainly useful for researchers and computer enthusiasts. Many textbooks and instructors taught that the internet lacked the infrastructure for serious commerce, was too difficult for average users, and would never replace traditional methods of communication, shopping, or information access. The prevailing view was that it was just another technological fad that would fade away.
What we know now
Technology and business classes often dismissed the early internet as a temporary novelty with limited practical applications. Students learned about it as a curiosity mainly useful for academics and researchers. The internet became essential global infrastructure supporting commerce, communication, entertainment, education, and virtually every aspect of modern life. It transformed entire industries and created new forms of social interaction, business models, and economic activity. The prediction failed to recognize the internet's potential for revolutionizing information sharing and global connectivity.