For class we had to read this article by Cass R. Sunstein called “The Daily We”.

First impression: “Oy”
First thought: “Contradictory/Hypocritical”
First reaction: “A 20 minute rant about people who make illogical and/or mal-supported arguments”

Commentary:

Sunstein is big on warning people how the internet and modern technology’s ability to “filter” life is creating a “Daily Me”. He feels this uber-individualization is bad for people and bad for democracy as it creates extremism. Of course, however, none of the arguments he raises in his article provide solid proof of that happening. For example he argues that:

People who rely on such intermediaries have a range of chance encounters, involving shared experience with diverse others and exposure to material that they did not specifically choose. You might, for example, read the city newspaper and in the process come across a range of stories that you would not have selected if you had the power to control what you see. Your eyes may come across a story about Germany, or crime in Los Angeles, or innovative business practices in Tokyo, and you may read those stories although you would hardly have placed them in your “Daily Me.” You might watch a particular television channel—perhaps you prefer Channel 4—and when your favorite program ends, you might see the beginning of another show, one that you would not have chosen in advance.

Ok - so #1: Does he think that just because there is more specialization that people are going to suddenly stop noticing the free paper their work provides them in their lunchroom or that someone waiting for their doctor will decide not to pick up whatever magazine available? #2: Are people going to stop going outside, interacting with people at work, or visting relatives who may have differeing sets of opinions/views? #3: Isn’t this a game of what if’s? By that I mean Sunstein says ‘what if the person who has individualized their daily news decides to browse random sections of a daily newspaper and sees something they like but would have otherwise not seen’…but you could also say…’what if the person who has individualized their daily news decides to join the peacecorps and gain firsthand experience of what is going on internationally’. The what if’s could go on forever!

ANYWAY…that’s enough for my first post - more to come in the future!!