Throughout the latter
half of the twentieth century, there was much concern regarding the amount
people that participated in society. Things such as the percentage of
people writing letters to newspapers to express their concerns and signing
petitions to voice concerns to representatives in Congress declined steadily
through to the beginning of the twenty first century, but is civic
participation is still in decline? Is the tireless phrase, "the
land of the free and the home of the brave" now just some words on paper
because Americans are showing apathy with the world around them? I
beg to differ. In fact, I believe that most people are turning to the
internet to stay engaged in society. As we move further with technology,
more people are looking to more convenient ways of staying engaged in
society. Many people, especially in this country look to search for news
online in the digital age. Many people now have technology like smart phones that have apps which provide news at the touch of a screen. Blogs like this one
and social networking sites such as twitter and Facebook provide a medium
for people to communicate their concerns with others. However, there
are others that feel the internet should not be a method of civic engagement.
Currently there is
legislation in Congress that if passed, may constrict people to what they may
say or do on the internet. This may affect the more modern approach to
being an active citizen in society. Yesterday many internet websites had
"blackouts" to voice their concerns to the public about the intentions
of some politicians on Capitol Hill. Many websites wanted to show
their visitors what the web maybe like if Congress passes such legislation.
Wikipedia pages were restricted to this image on every one of their pages.
(Source: Dylan Love/businessinsider.com)
Wikipedia used the rhetoric device pathos to convey their opposition to the bills. "Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge" is powerful and emotional. It makes the observer think of future censorship of the internet. The color of the background helps to insinuate a "world" that is dark and cold. The outlook of future censorship of the internet does not look to foretell something positive. This and other efforts really proved that people are not passive and indifferent to the thought of Civic Engagement. Other websites such as Google also played a role in helping to oppose SOPA and PIPA by getting over 7 million signatures through their online petition in just one day. The awareness made by these websites really did help to express and maybe accomplish the goals of those that played active roles. Due to these recent efforts by active citizens, some members of Congress have rethought their support of the bills.
I agree with the point you made about the SOPA and PIPA legislation being far too broad and would have the potential for the government to "censor" certain websites. However, I tend to feel that the percentage of people who want to use the internet as a forum for civic engagement is quite small. I know that there are some that use the net as a place to do serious civic engagement, but I feel that a lot of people around the world use it to look at free porn and celebrity gossip.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny because I was going trying to view something on Wikipedia a couple days ago, and it would not let me. Because I am one of those who "turn to the internet to stay engaged in society", I immediately became frustrated. I guess you since we are so used to advanced technology constantly, we forget how to be informed without it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that civic engagement may not be declining, instead it is evolving from handwritten petitions and physical rioting to the internet. The internet is potentially the biggest form of civic engagement that we have in our country as of now. The blackouts of many sites were, in my point of view, very effective and reassuring that people and companies still care about their freedoms and are willing to protest to keep them. I think that this technological advancement is something that society needs to get used to and adapt.
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