Citizenship in the 21st century

Scientific and social structures are influenced by the technologies of the time. Modern democracy is unimaginable without print newspapers and other mass media. It isn’t surprising that the one way, creator to consumer nature of newspapers, radio and TV is mirrored by the one way, politician to citizen nature of modern democracy.

Social media is far more interactive and bidirectional. Everybody hopes that next revolution in democracy will be catalyzed by the mirroring of the social web. I am sure that’s a half truth, but the future will portray social media as a precursor to real democracy. Facebook will be seen by the next generation as a lucrative but ultimately unimportant way station toward world citizenship.