The Impact of the Internet and Social Media on Society

Posted on May 17, 2024 in Economy

INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

The Internet as a Meta-Medium

The internet is a meta-medium, combining all forms of media. We can watch TV, listen to radio, and read books, all in one place.

Internet in Israel

  • 1992: First Israeli website (Hebrew University)
  • 1994: Israeli Internet Association established
  • 2010: 72% of the public connected
  • 2018: 80% of the public connected (6.7 million people)

Global vs. Local Content

People use both local and global websites. The internet allows us to research anything, accessing both global and local information.

Pessimistic vs. Optimistic Approaches

Pessimistic Approach:

  • Most users visit a limited number of sites.
  • Gaps in accessibility exist.
  • Online information is controlled by corporations and technological and economic forces.

Optimistic Approach:

  • Internet improves life quality.
  • Enables citizen participation in the political sphere.
  • Encourages interactivity and deliberative democracy.
  • The internet belongs to no one, and nothing regulates its operation.
  • Potential to encourage motivation for collective action.

Regulation of Technology

Regulating technology becomes increasingly problematic as technology advances. It is impossible to fully regulate the internet and social media. Some corporations attempt to control what their reporters post on personal social media accounts.

SOCIAL MEDIA

#MeToo Movement

2017 will be remembered as the year of #MeToo, a viral campaign where women spoke out against sexual harassment and assault.

Advantages:

  • Increased interaction and awareness.
  • Pressure on institutions to address the issue.

Disadvantages:

  • Potential harm to the privacy of individuals involved.

Facebook – Cambridge Analytica Scandal

Cambridge Analytica accessed users’ personal information to target political advertisements. Facebook expressed regret but took no action when the incident occurred two years prior. While the scandal didn’t destroy Facebook, it eroded trust in social media, particularly Facebook. This highlights a paradox: our relationship with social media is complicated.

Declining Trust in Social Networks

Public confidence in social networks is declining. A study in Israel by Sagit Yakobowitch found that the Israeli public is critical of information on social media and does not automatically trust it. Paradoxically, despite awareness of privacy risks, social media usage remains high.

Social Media as a Source of News and Disinformation

Today, social media is a major source of news consumption and a channel for disinformation.

Fake News

Fake news consists of intentionally and verifiably false news articles that can mislead readers. We are all targets of fake news, and it is our responsibility to find trustworthy sources.

Negative Aspects:

  • Older people are more susceptible to fake news.
  • The issue originated in print newspapers and radio.
  • Less educated and sophisticated individuals are more likely to believe fake news.

Positive Aspects:

  • Consumption of traditional media increased in 2017 and 2018 due to higher trust.
  • Forces journalists to work harder to report the truth.

Media Consumption in the Digital Era

Media consumption has changed radically in the digital era. Information comes in real-time from numerous sources, ranging from large institutions and news sites to private websites, politicians, and commercial companies. We have become accustomed to having unlimited information just a click away.

Facebook Law in Israel

The Israeli government can force Facebook and other social media platforms to remove content deemed provocative. This law ensures the government can quickly remove content that could incite violence or terrorism. Incitement is defined as content with a criminal offense, and its continued publication would harm the security of the state or individuals.

Filter Bubbles

Eli Pariser’s concept of filter bubbles describes how algorithms create information bubbles based on our online behavior. These algorithms determine what information we receive when searching online, often excluding information that challenges our existing views. Factors like location, past searches, and personal information influence these algorithms.

NORMATIVE THEORY OF THE MEDIA

What is Normative?

Normative refers to something acceptable, serving as a norm, standard, agreed upon, or ordinary.

Normative Approach to Mass Media

The normative approach to mass media attempts to identify and formulate rules and expectations for the media. This is necessary because the media plays a central role in society and can impact society and culture. Normative expectations demand that the media fulfill the public interest, encompassing all needs and demands concerning the public good. However, the media is often built to fulfill its own goals rather than the public’s needs.

Three Categories of Expectations:

1. Structure of the Media System:

  • Freedom to publish information (sometimes restricted for security reasons).
  • Multiple media owners (important to avoid centralization).
  • Adequate support from the political system (funding, information, and freedom of speech).
  • Variety of channels and communication forms (diversity of content from all societal groups).

2. Service Provided by the Media:

  • Assistance in maintaining security and public order.
  • Accessibility for the public to receive information, speak, and be heard.

3. Damage Prevention:

  • Respect for human rights (avoiding defamation, respecting privacy, and acting without causing harm).

Balancing conflicting rights, such as the right to know versus the right to privacy, can be challenging.

Meeting Normative Expectations:

The media can meet normative expectations through professionalism, media ethics, and social responsibility.

Theories of the Press:

Theories of the press present two opposing views on the level of control over the media:

  • Authoritarian: Strict supervision of the media.
  • Liberal: Full freedom of the media.

Both describe possible relationships between the press, society, and the government.

Three Main Theories:

1. Authoritarian Theory:

  • Common in dictatorships where the state is paramount.
  • Citizens are not involved in state administrative decisions.
  • Criticism of the government in the media is prohibited.
  • The media is controlled by the government, with private ownership dependent on government licenses.

2. Liberal Theory:

  • Prioritizes the individual.
  • The public is a partner in the democratic process and has access to all information.
  • The media should criticize the government and encourage discussion.
  • The media should be independent with no restrictions, except in cases of harm to the state or individual interests.
  • Private ownership is open to anyone who can and wants it.

3. Social Responsibility Theory:

  • Commitment to society
  • Diversity in content
  • Dissemination of information
  • Ethical code
  • Avoidance of harm
  • Free but regulated

PUBLIC BROADCASTING

Public broadcasting encompasses communication systems established to serve the public interest, free from advertisements, commercial interests, and political influence. Public service broadcasting is established by law and financed by public funds to serve the public good.

MEDIA ECONOMICS

The media, as a private business, fulfills social and cultural needs while also operating within a market economy. This creates tension between social and economic considerations.

Two Types of Consumers:

  1. Consumers as recipients of communication products and services.
  2. Consumers as advertisers purchasing access to the media audience.

CENTRALIZATION

Reasons for Centralization:

Advantage of size and strength, efficiency and profitability, political of influence. 

-Disadvantages: allows only certain content (pluralism), lowers accessibility for weak sectors in society (voice is not heard), you only hear one opinion (all info from one place).

-Implications: Worrying phenomena where a lot of media outlets are dominated by a low number of owners (pluralism and freedom of speech), price gets higher because there’s no competition, no room for competition because small companies will get crushed in the market, not everyone can access the media, no diversity in the content. SOLUTION: public policy, open the market to competition.