We have all been made aware of the far reach of the Internet and perhaps success in spreading information. Being a skeptic, however, I always harbor subtle concerns for anything that encourages demagogic spreading of ideas without attribution or verification and often without understanding of implications and unintended consequences. In other words I do not trust mobs and their emotional motivations, however they are constituted.
I stumbled this morning on a phrase in a STRATFOR report on jihadism. STRATFOR (stratfor.com) is a non-political commercial intelligence group that was developed to provide intelligence services to offshore business entities, but has spread to more general assessments. The phrase was: ”While these various elements of the jihadist network are distinct, the Internet brings them together, especially at the grassroots level. Videos, websites and online magazines indoctrinate aspiring militants in the jihadist ideology and provide a forum for like-minded individuals and groups.” In the past we would have described them as excellent propaganda vehicles, but I think we’ve gone beyond that, althought that certain still applies.
Add this to the rapid spread of the “occupy” movement across the U.S. and to other parts of the world, and its effective use in the “Arab Spring” demonstrations that so enthralled the international press. Communications, properly employed, can have great educational value but they can also be used for less positive applications, as we have seen with television and even (my opinion) the inane, mindless, constant babble of teenagers on emails, Twitter and Face book. On the crime scene the term often used is “copycat” and it has been applied to all sorts of spontaeous mayhem, including the current gang attacks on vulnerable victims either for the macho image it extols or use on Face book. Ignorance particularly, it seems, is vulnerable to emotionally violent suggestion, particularly when illustrated as instant communication, with which it be can spread rapidly.
This is not a new discovery of inovation in uses of technology, nor can successful and popular technology be easily controlled or even directed. As a commercially availaable tool it will be used as users wish to use it, and the individual annonimity of the Internet exaccerbates its utility, both good and bad; good for those who are curious and want to learn, and bad for those who are easily influenced but such as popular violence.
Thus I have no solutions; not even suggestions. Certainly I doubt government’s ability to effectively confront the bad without destroying the good, but I am confident it will try, likely with doubtful results. But the examples above have convinced me that it is something to think about – and be aware of and concerned about; emotionally instability of people – not all but a significant few – has been proven too often.
