The Internet Magnifies Democracy

Cass Sunstein wrote in The Daily We: Is the Internet really a blessing for democracy? that in a free republic, citizens aspire to a system that provides a wide range of experiences—with people, topics, and ideas—that would not have been selected in advance. Sunstein further goes into details about how the internet can both promote and hamper individual ideas. While the internet may produce two extremes of democratic practices, I feel the internet has only magnified democracy and its core purposes. Simply put, the internet offers a wider and larger medium to exchange ideas, which promotes democracy. No other form of communication allows uncensored direct interaction between people - not TV, not the radio, not the newspaper. These other forms of media allow for editing and censorship, while the internet can foster an environment that truly represents freedom of speech. While some bureaucrats may not like the additional freedom of speech and the collaboration of "factions" on issues, the internet has already proven, through the use of internet campaigns, to become an effective tool and medium for the growth of democracy.

The internet does promote democracy, right? Or is it just a tool for dating services?