Current mood: slightly overwhelmed
Current tunes: SuidAkra - Dead Man's Reel
The Internet has drastically changed a variety of phenomena in our world. The primary metamorphosis that the Internet has caused in society is the reduction of the transaction cost of forming ties with other people. It was only twenty years ago that the most common manner that people formed groups, whether for leisure or political purposes, was by going out and recruiting people personally. If a group-former were wealthy enough and well-connected, he or she could broadcast a message out to a wider audience by television or radio. However, the message would be sent once and anyone who was not listening or watching would miss it and their opportunity would be lost forever. Now, with the advent of the Internet, people can post messages to very public places, some reaching wider audiences than radio and television. The message is also more permanent and can be read at any time.
The second-most significant change that the Internet has made to society is that we are now producers and consumers instead of primarily consumers. Before Web 2.0, the Internet was mostly used for accessing information published by relatively few entities. However, with social media and other interactive web services, all Internet users can now produce information and consume it. As mentioned above, it used to be the case that there were two distinct groups: broadcasters and consumers. Web 2.0 has made the consumer a producer. Many producers are still more trusted that most, such as news corporations, government websites, and other high-profile sources, but the common man has a more powerful voice thanks to the new way in which we use the Internet. It is no longer solely movie studios that create videos with millions of views. A teenager with a cellphone could film an event and rack up viewers. A political columnist is no longer the sole voice in politics. A blogger with an opinion has just as much say in matters of government.
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