Will Internet and democracy bring positive impact to society?

The accessibility of internet enables everybody to participate directly in daily social political issues. One of important aspect of democracy is freedom to express our opinion.  In 1994, US former Vice President, Al Gore planned to establish Global Information Infrastructure or GII. Al Gore (1995) mentioned that the digital revolution will not only create a participatory democracy but it will create new Athenian democracy. So today, internet brings new form of democracy.

The fact shows that there are some impacts on democracy caused by internet. Internet works as a democratizing agent. “Using macro-level panel data from 1994 to 2003, this study examined 152 countries and found that increased Internet diffusion was a meaningful predictor of more democratic regimes.. In addition, Internet diffusion and democracy demonstrated a positive, statistically significant relationship (but with a marginal observed association size) in developing countries where the average level of sociopolitical instability was much higher” (Groshek, 2009, P. 116)

Internet pessimists also have their argument about the fear of internet that might decrease democracy. Internet pessimists claimed that the increasing of information and media customization will lead to closed-mindedness, corporate brainwashing, an online echo-chamber, or even the death of deliberative democracy. Internet tends to make people enclosed to their own bubble, instead of enriching our alternative point of view.

My opinion is as long as internet and media are still controlled by some power example government or business from that point we still face the problem that there is a hidden agenda and interest. Internet even can be more dangerous when it is used to manipulate rather than enlighten people.

Reference

Groshek, J (2009) THE DEMOCRATIC EFFECTS OF THE INTERNET, 1994–2003 A Cross-National Inquiry of 152 Countries. Los Angeles: Sage Publication.

Yang, T (2010) video. The Internet and Democracy: Potential or None? Accessed at 11/12/2013 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=788SAa3daQw

Thierer, A (2011) The Internet Isn't Killing Our Culture Or Democracy. Accessed 11/12/2013 at http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamthierer/2011/06/05/the-internet-isnt-killing-our-culture-of-democracy/