Unless you’ve lived Ted Kaczynski style this past year, nobody in their right mind would say it’s been a harmonious one – politically, socially, or economically. I guess you can say a lot of people are pissed off. They’re pissed at heathcare reform, they’re pissed at the economy, and they’re pissed at a gazillion other little things like the I-Pad. Let’s face it, in America righteous indignation is in.
With information as accessible as it ever was, current news spreads fast. But, is that a good thing? Is there a dark side to having quick access to information? I don’t doubt that there are many, many benefits, but it’s also plausible that a universal acceptance of new media can lead to an inevitable playing toward the lowest common denominator?
Like sex, anger and frustration sell remarkably well.
Now, to be fair there’s a long tradition in journalism of people playing to others feelings, and new media doesn’t change that, but it’s also realistic to believe we are witnessing a sort of megaphone effect. People naturally look to validate their own beliefs and we all have source biases. But, given that there are so many sources out there the promulgation of information means that today it’s possible to validate anything. Once upon a time objective research was considered to be important. Today it garners CNN’s ratings.
As time goes on and the general public “backs up” their arguments using easily found resources, I suspect, they will also come to more rigidly defend them. After all if you can find it quickly then it must be true, right? The more rigidly the general public defends their arguments, of course, the more likely we are to see an increase in the volume of national discourse.
If this is the case, then the free flow of information may actually come at a cost. Blogs, Twitter, and the changing technology driving shifts in information seeking behaviors… I see them as partially to blaim.
