RSA Animate - The Internet in Society: Empowering or Censoring Citizens?

Does the internet actually inhibit, rather than encourage democracy? In this new RSA Animate adapted from a talk given in 2009, Evgeny Morozov presents an alternative take on 'cyber-utopianism' - the seductive idea that the internet plays a largely emancipatory role in global politics.
Watch the full lecture here: http://www.thersa.org/events/video/ar...

This RSA Animate was taken from a lecture given as part of the RSA's free public events programme. The RSA is a 258 year-old charity dedicated to driving social progress and spreading world-changing ideas.

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This audio has been edited from the original event by Becca Pyne.

• Category

  News & Politics

[Elizabeth Kim]

It's a theory. Evgeny Morozov is a media theorist. Who said it was right? - The cartoons are also actually very clever, they are a nice pun, as well as a metaphor for many things. Morozov is basically saying that society misuse the internet, and just because countries suddenly have access to it, doesn't mean they are going to use it for democracy, or for the 'right reasons'. Some use to watch porn, and funny cat videos.

[cheesypasta]

I don't think the speaker is denying the benefits of the internet to us, as some are saying, he is just pointing out that the picture is not as clear as the average person thinks it is. some people really don't engage in anything more intelligent than cat videos or porn, or having one-sided debates about religion. we need to move beyond that.

[Anthony O'Toole]

Weed smoking is like the internet, which is like anything. Pros and cons. It can be a tool for liberation of the mind or a trap. I work in with low income children in Hawaii and man they love to smoke weed, and so do I. But when they smoke weed I doubt they read books, and imagine the limitless possibilities life has...Then again I don't know what it's like for them to be high. I do know that they continue to make terrible life decisions whether or not they smoke weed.

[LanYArn]

The Asian cats have lines for eyes..

[mba2ceo]

Western Democratcy = Covert Legalized Corruption

[nelsonm3601]

They are not willing to risk personal safety for what they believe in as people did in the past so the impact is lessened.

[nelsonm3601]

I agree with some point, for example if you had million people blogging/ signing an online petition protesting over a certain issue, it does simply does not have the same impact as a million people marching/protesting in the street because it is easier to ignore/ censor an online protest than a physical one. Plus the internet method seems to lack a certain sincerity and passion needed to truly drive change because people can easily hide behind online identies/ hide behind a screen.

[jrydahhable]

The internet is an incredible tool suddenly millions of people realising they are on the same wave length, is a threat to any government whether dictatorship or democracy their is no discrimination

[Criims0nKing]

anyone else think its a little ironic that this video is an example of why this guys point is not valid. The amount of discussion and information available to us today is just incredible. I think his argument is jumping far to much on democratic values as a result of the internet. That seems like an absurd claim to me. I want people to learn and be engaged with other people and the internet allows us to do that on a global scale. Democracy isnt perfect lets try some innovation.

[RKTGX95]

I disagree with this video. No one on the internet is really downloading Pornography, only watches it.

[FatStarvingActor]

Haha, I love that this was posted right before Arab Spring.

[Mark Thurman]

For the life of me I can't understand why they got 'Fraaaank' the wedding planner to narrate this...