The internet has a bigger impact on us than we imagine.
The impact is already visible especially by the acceleration COVID-19 put of need for technological innovation. Internet and technology revolutionized the world of business, healthcare, education, and even politics. The Internet has made it possible for us to access a vast amount of information at the touch of one click. It is not simply information. It is our entertainment, our journal, our books, and our movies. Internet encompasses everything we know today.
So it is only inevitable that politicians also use the internet for political gains in unpredictable manners. Now how does the internet fit in a democratic country with freedom of speech? Whether the country is small or not as huge as Malaysia, internet coverages such as Unifi coverage changed the way democracy fits in the modern world.
What Is Democracy In Simpler Words?
Democracy identifies as the majority rule. Majority wins. People elect their representatives. It is a system for people, that is by the people. So how is a system such as that disrupted by the modern integration of the internet? Does the installation of Unifi broadband disrupt a democratic world?
Experts say yes. Research and studies point to how people’s use of technology weakens the democratic power we have. Politicians use the name of democracy and the internet in optimism and hope while simultaneously using it for manipulative gain.
The first and foremost thing internet has done is only encourage the power handed to those in charge. The powerful elective representatives are in control of the administration of technology and the internet. Facebook has been under major accusations of selling surveillance data to huge corporations and politicians, especially during elections. China has used artificial intelligence and surveillance tracking services over the internet to keep track of every citizen and their words on the internet. Democratic countries use the internet in a manner that only serves them a bigger purpose. Certainly not for ethical outcomes that serve the people.
Those in power understand how we use the internet. We are so consumed by the world of fantasy on the internet or feeding into the internet propaganda that to pay attention to the real world. This has been used as a tactic to change what democracy means in the internet world. The internet’s voice now dictates the voice and choice of the people. While people are secluding themselves from what is happening in real life, chaos continues.
The power of the internet and exploitation using democratic leaders are already in play. The social media campaigns, the surveillance that happens without our consent, and the constant white noise and false wishes from politicians on media, are all signs of manipulation at play. A lot of governments tend to use the internet to prevent the exacerbation of political misconduct. They also use it to avoid bringing us the solutions they promised during the fancy elections.
Whether your internet is slow or as fast as my Unifi, the internet is universal. Everyone has access to it no matter the speed or pace. The internet joined everyone in the global hemisphere. A place for like-minded people was born. Maybe it even opened up a dialogue and a channel for empowerment. But over time this has changed into a population of self-reinforcing groups with bots in charge, bombarded us with targeted ads for manipulation.
While one part of the internet was is used to engage people in a manipulative political agenda, others are seemingly disconnected from the reality of the political world. The Internet has not only disconnected us from the truth but it has diminished the political involvement some need to have. Internet was only a means of distraction from reality. It was never meant to replace worldly activities such as participation in voting and other democratic activities. However when the internet popularized, social cohesiveness plummeted, democracy took a halt and people are over-consuming the internet. When the generation is malnourished with real-life political information, they are only mere spectators of the democracy. Speciation does not work so well in a democratic country. This gives free rein and power to those corrupted as we sit behind our desks in the comfort of the internet.
Needless to say, the disconnection from reality is deadly. Especially when trying to establish a democracy that benefits our income and economy. However, technology and the internet are not all that bad for the democratic world.
Tech-Savvy Generation To Take Over Democracy
Within the coming years, it won’t be as easy to manipulate people who already understand how the internet works. Technology makes us ignorant of how advanced it is and how it is exploited by the corrupted democratic world. As digital literacy improves among the young generation, engagement with the democratic world also increases. No more falling for targeted propaganda, ads, information stealing, and perhaps better privacy rules. Those who digitally liberal will be able to look out for problems in the current system and be able to offer solutions. With technology, they will learn how to bring forth solutions the politicians have never thought of. They will also think of how to spread the word of the democratic world over the internet and stay more connected to reality as well. We can expect to see more tech-aware people become active participants in the betterment of society as well as against the exploitation of the internet by corrupted political rule.
