Cyber Utopia
January 15th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
As I’ve discussed in the past, I’m wary of the Internet and social media. Their power to improve our lives is obvious and widely discussed, but the potential harm is relatively unexamined, if not consciously ignored.
I’ve long been a fan of RSA Animate, and one of its animated mini-lectures about the Internet’s role in society really hit home with me. In the wake of the Arab Spring, again the integral role of social media has been loudly heralded. But this ten-minute video discusses some of the less-obvious consequences of the role of the Internet and social media in the global drive for democracy.
What do you think? Does the Internet really increase meaningful communication among people? Or does it just create a new entertainment trap that actually increases apathy?
