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/