In the first week of New Communication Technologies, students
were reminded the way in which human beings gather information and socialise is
constantly evolving with new developments in communications technology. It
is hard to imagine a time pre-internet when 21st century global
citizens are now so pervasively interconnected in online networks. Yet it was as
recent as the 1980’s that computers were misunderstood. The usefulness of the
early microcomputer was once questioned by critics due to the high cost; however
with time the users of the early computers developed a better understanding of
their potential and created software that rendered the technology beneficial to the
masses (Swalwell, 2012).
Conversely, whether or not new communication technologies are
benefiting democracy is a thought which I have pondered for much of the week. New
communication technologies such as the internet allow for the transfer of new information
and ideas across networks which are essential in a democracy in order to hold
the state and corporations accountable for their decisions. Wikileaks founder Julian
Assange likened a subculture emerging through a radicalisation of internet
educated youth to the 1960 liberation movement in Greece. “People are receiving
their values from the internet...and then as they find them to be compatible
echoing them back. The echo back is now so strong that it drowns the original
statements” (Wikileaks, 2013, para, 197). Assange appears to be warning of a political revolution growing from internet networks as new versions of the truth are exchanged. The allegations in recent months by Edward Snowden of the NSA spying on internet activities of US citizens and its allies implies Washington
is concerned about the consequence of exchanges of sensitive information and prioritises national security over a persons right to privacy.
I can’t wait to dive into this topic in more depth in Cyber Politics and
eDemocracy in week 6.
Reference list
Swalwell M, 2012, ‘Questions
about the usefulness of microcomputers in 1980’s Australia’ Media International Australia no. 143, pp.
63-77.
Transcript of secret meeting between Julian
Assange and Google CEO Eric Schmidt 2013, viewed 26/07/2013 <http://wikileaks.org/Transcript-Meeting-Assange-Schmidt.html>
