Internet as Social Amplifier

Electronic communication and social networking enable Tea Partiers, global warming deniers, and conspiracy theorists to isolate themselves and find support for their shared ideas and suspicions. As the Internet connects the like-minded and pools their ideas, White supremacists may become more racist, Obama-despisers more hostile, and militia members more terror prone (thus limiting our power to halt terrorism by conquering a place). In the echo chambers of virtual worlds, as in real worlds, separation conversation = polarization.

But the Internet-as-social-amplifier can instead work for good, by connecting those coping with challenges. Peacemakers, cancer survivors, and bereaved parents find strength and solace from kindred spirits.

By amplifying shared concerns and ideas, Internet-enhanced communication can also foster social entrepreneurship.

Notes:

Social networking allows conspiracy theorists to insulate themselves in tribes of like-mindedness.

Folksonomies: culture internet technology

Taxonomies:
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/hobbies and interests/games/video and computer games (0.333167)
/family and parenting/children (0.324187)

Keywords:
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Entities:
Social networking:FieldTerminology (0.917825 (positive:0.206553)), Internet:Technology (0.536146 (positive:0.371335)), global warming:FieldTerminology (0.406456 (negative:-0.381668)), Tea Partiers:Company (0.405991 (positive:0.206553))

The Internet as Social Amplifier

Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book: Myers, David G. (January, 2010), The Internet as Social Amplifier, Edge Foundation, Inc., Retrieved on 2010-10-01

Source Material [edge.org]

Folksonomies: internet web science technology society