Contribution of internet to a democratic society

Abstract

Equitable information access and freedom of expression are viewed as essential aspects of a truly democratic society, whereby all citizens are kept informed and enlightened. A natural extension of this ideal is the human need and desire to communicate and exchange information with others. With the advent of the internet, and extraordinary growth in information and communication technologies in recent years, more information than ever before is made freely available and easily shared. Information is now available in a plethora of digital formats and can be exchanged across time zones, countries and groups in seconds, and this makes communicating and connecting easier and more efficient. This paper discusses the role of free flow of information through internet in shaping democratic values. This paper discusses the role of internet as a democratic tool that allows significant benefits for society at large in a dynamic global environment. It concludes that internet’s contribution to democracy has not fully matured and its potential to revitalize democracy and outweigh potential for oppression and control is a dynamic and multifaceted issue in the global environment. Internet, however, has a passive rather than active role in a democratic society. It, thus, influences only those who interact with it.

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