Internet: A Democratic Technology or Disaster

Today we live in a world of technology or as Chris Barker refers to it, a “digital media culture” (346) where we seem to be living through our technological devices. Ask yourself this: Could I live without my cell phone, internet, television, Ipod, kindle, electronic planner, etc. for one day? or a week? Or maybe even a month? Most of us would like to believe we could do it for at least one day, but the reality is that when it comes down to it most of us couldn’t go even one hour without one of these things.  My next question is whether this is a good thing or a bad thing? Are we being ruled by our technological devices and losing sight of reality, or are we just progressing and learning to live a more ‘democratic’ lifestyle? At the dawn of the internet some argued that it was the latter, that our digital world was allowing us to live more democratically without lines and “open to all people regardless of sex, gender, age, class or nationality” (Barker 348). Others have referred to it as a “utopian space ‘above and beyond’ the culture, history and problems of our time” (Barker 348). Today I see it differently. The internet and our new technology have only opened the doors to new cultures and new variations of the problems we already have along with creating new ones. Our social networks such as ‘myspace’ and ‘facebook’ have created a cyber world in which we all share our lives daily. These networks opened the doors to new kinds of bullies (cyber bullies) and allowed the concept of bullying to soar to new levels often unbearable for the victims. Countless suicides have resulted from this cyber bullying leaving us to wonder is the cyber world really is “free from body scrutiny” (Barker 348)? I don’t think that it is. If anything I believe that the internet and it’s openness has opened the doors to a more cruel world where sex, gender, age, class and nationality are scrutinized even more because people are able to speak more freely without the fear of consequences. Peers are able to harass their classmates without any penalty from the school and often times no penalty from their parents. The internet has become more a place filled with “lost souls in an unnavigable sea of information” (Barker 349) and freedom and resources making the skeptics of the earlier internet more clear as to the implications of this open and endless world. Although I don’t believe these were the consequences they had in mind it still led to some negative outcomes. This free space has made it easier for criminals to do their dirty work, psychos to carry out murderous plans, and perverts to defile their victims. Even though the internet has opened countless positive opportunities is it really worth the awful downside to what the internet has to offer? Maybe a less democratic approach would suit the internet better; an approach that called for more surveillance and censoring to save the youth of tomorrow and our future culture. Perhaps a more censored approach would allow us to still obtain all the wondrous information the internet has to offer while keeping the smut and terror and cruelties out. I know that we as Americans don’t like to be censored or told what we can and cannot see or obtain, but maybe it’s for the best; for the best for our children and ourselves and the future generations to come.