To sum up this series of blog posts I want to introduce to you the two main perspectives of the internet. It is evident that the internet can have an overwhelming affect on our relationships once we decide to engage in it; however there are polarized views as to whether this effect is negative or positive.
The utopian position is that the internet will make it easier for people to communicate politically, and socially. This view promotes the public-sphere as democratic and connective.
In contrast, the dystopian perspective is that the internet has the potential to negatively affect communication by altering the practices and spaces. This view claims that we lose democracy as the society loses its ties to each other and individuals become isolated.
After a lot of thought, I believe that I am much closer to the utopian view than the dystopian view. Although the internet does make for less face-to-face interaction with friends, it is definitely creating a forum of civic engagement. We are keeping in touch with more people, rather than just a few, and we are participating in our culture, both politically and socially. By engaging in blogging, or twitter or even Facebook, we are keeping up-to-date with news events and therefore actually “thinking” more than before. As described in one of the lectures: at least by being on the internet chatting, researching or playing online games with others we are doing something, putting ourselves out there, instead of lazing around the TV with which we have no real interaction with. The idea of two-way communication that the internet provides gives us, the individual, a lot more power. No longer can we just sit back and listen to the politicians and marketers we can now talk back with our own educated opinions. The digital revolution empowers individuals by allowing them to question the advice of many authoritative figures. This is providing a more democratic and interactive medium that will definitely have a positive effect.
What’s your view? What do you see for the future of the internet?
Until Next Time...
14 years ago
Can I take some middle ground? Utopian opportunity but lots of dystopian dangers. It's perhaps the new battle ground for free speech, thoughtful interaction, democratic discourse--but also so much opportunity for manipulation of opinion and choice.
ReplyDeleteTC
You can definitely take the middle ground! The more I study the ways of the internet the more I start to move to this middle ground as well. I found an appropriate quote for this topic from one of my Media Ethics articles which says "in many ways, cyberspace is a microcosm of the ordinary world, with all the same mingled potential for good and bad".
ReplyDelete