Anxiety of Influence on the Web

Time and time again,  I've felt inadequate in the face of those who've had more experience or seem to have more talent.   And it's made me question my purpose to such an extent that I've abandoned my goals.    With so much information available now through the Web,  that anxiety has intensified.   All you need to do is google your speciality to find thousands of others who've been practicing that speciality longer and, seemingly, better than you.  

I guess it's the ease by which the internet allows us to connect with others that awakens one set of anxieties at the same time as it alleviates others.    Thanks to search engines, social networking, and other tools, people can find others who share their passions, background and skill.  The internet can ease feelings of isolation.  At the same, it's much harder to feel unique. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why people seem so desperate to become celebrities.  They don't feel that they can achieve any goals which would set them apart because it's all already been done.