Will the Democratization of Media Destroy Democracy?

 

There are so many ways that technology has impacted our society in the last 30 years.  For those of us who are over 40 years of age, take a moment to think back about how you accessed media prior to the mid-1990s.  By media, I mean television, movies, newspapers, music, games, and the coverage of sporting events. Remember, no batteries needed to charge!  We had printed newspapers, dedicated radios and stereos.  We watched television and movies based upon predetermined schedules that we lived by, and we played board games on a table.  Many of these activities were communal experiences.  They were things we did in the presence of family and friends and sometimes large groups of strangers. So, now step back into your time machine and return to 2024, and think about how you access media today? Well, there’s a good chance the answer to your question is in the palm of your hands as you’re reading my blog.   

Media has been Democratized by Technology

Which brings me to another way technology has changed society.  Today, we are no longer the passive recipients of media, like the old days when we all listened and watched pretty much the same content as millions or even hundreds of millions of other Americans, blending into a somewhat unified culture.  Today, we are active participants with our media, sharing, liking and commenting on the material that we like or loathe. We the people are also we the creators, with the power to write or blog, create video content or share original songs. We can develop our own followers as content generators if we have something interesting or worthwhile to say.  Media and content are no longer solely in the hands of a few powerful corporations, in many meaningful ways, media has been democratized by technology.   

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

So, does this mean that our brave new world of media is no longer controlled by powerful corporations?  Well, not exactly.  We now have several powerful technology companies who are heavily influencing how we use the internet and social media.  These companies are in an endless quest to find new ways to monetize this technology.  Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, have emerged as the giants in this new landscape.  These 2 companies essentially determine whose voices are heard on the web and on social media, while amassing huge amounts of data on each of us.  Both companies use the big data that they generate to offer individuals and businesses the ability to purchase ads in order to appear in front of their desired audiences.  They also provide means for individuals and business to appear organically, by successfully completing a number of tasks that are reminiscent of the Twelve Labors of Hercules, including blogging, selecting keywords, generating useful content, employing hashtags, backlinking to other credible sources, and more.

Content is King and Sometimes the King is a Fink

At times, everyone is looking for good content on the internet, sometimes it’s how to fix your closet door, or how to deal with a pimple that emerged between your eyes, or how to save for retirement.  However, sometimes that content takes an evil twist, and an article, blog or meme may appear with no basis in reality.   Unfortunately, social networks like Facebook use special algorithms that reward content generators, based upon the level of interest their content receives over the inherent benefits or truth contained in that content. The sad reality is that content that engages and enrages users, whether or not it is true, means more eyes on the content and more opportunities to bring in advertisers and further monetize the platform.  Unfortunately, political propagandists and unfriendly nations like Russia, China and Iran, have weaponized these social media algorithms to further divide members of our society.

We now live in a world where many of us block or unfriend folks whose opinions differ from our own, creating political bubbles where we only hear what we want to hear, confirming our own inherent biases.  When someone throws us some red meat in the form of engaging and enraging content, we double down on our biases by sharing this content with members of our bubble.  If someone pierces our political bubble and offers a contradicting opinion, they suffer the social media equivalent of being run out of town on a rail. 

What Can We Do to Preserve Democracy through Technology?

So where does this all leave us?  You and I are responsible for critically evaluating what we read and share on social media. We need to determine if a story is coming from a reliable source before we “like” it or share it.  We also need to be open to hearing the ideas of the other side, that means taking the time to listen and understand those ideas, even if we disagree with them.  Often, we can find common ground with folks we disagree with, when we are not prodded to hate the opposition. If we don't take the time to think about what we read and continue to dehumanize anyone who disagrees with us, the sad irony in all this could be that the democratization of media might ultimately lead to the end of democracy.

How has technology changed the way you access media and do you think its improved your life and relationships?  Let me know in the comment section below.

Additional Resources

Here is an excellent video that looks at the effects of  technology and social media on our society and several recommendations to address some of the negative aspects of this technology.