Internet Centrism
Internet centrism is a term used by critics who see the importance of The Internet as overrated.
Technology critic Evgeny Morozov used the term to describe what he sees as an incorrect way of making sense of The Internet.[1] Critic James Curran has a similar view, seeing Internet centrism as "a belief that the Internet is the alpha and omega of technologies, an agency that overrides all obstacles" with "power to determine outcomes."[2] Morozov in his book To Save Everything, Click Here, wrote that the correct way to understand the Internet is as a network created by fallible human beings,[3] which is "a collection of tools made by various people on behalf of myriad organizations."[4] But he criticizes the Internet centrism view in which the Internet is seen incorrectly as a "creed to live by", as the "culmination of all human invention," as a "god to obey".[3] Morozov sees Internet centrism as a delusion which frames "every important question about modern society and politics."[1] He believes misconceptions about the concept can lead to misguided predictions, such that the transparency of the Internet can "foment revolution in Iran in 2009", or that it promotes democracy by its very nature.[1] For him, the Internet centrism view elevates transparency while ignoring other important values such as privacy and civic involvement.[5] According to Morozov, Internet-centrism leads to a misconception that the Internet is a "stable and coherent force" that "shapes things autonomously".[6] As a result, he sees Internet centrism as causing confusion.[7]
Analyst Tim Wu in The Washington Post criticized Morozov's view, saying there is a value in using a broad concept such as "The Internet", and that Morozov goes too far when he sees discussion of The Internet as being a "kind of thought crime."[8] Analyst Gideon Lewis-Kraus in Harper's Magazine wrote that Morozov hopes to dubunk the idea that "The Internet" has certain "native characteristics" such as openness and transparency which will "make everything better."[4] Critic Steven Poole in The Guardian described Morozov as "one of our most penetrating and brilliantly sardonic critics of techno-utopianism".[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Tom Chatfield, 8 January 2011, The Guardian, The Net Delusion: How Not to Liberate the World by Evgeny Morozov – review -- This powerful critique of 'cyber-utopianism' shows us that the net isn't always what we think, Retrieved August 13, 2015, "...internet-centrism, the belief that every important question about modern society and politics can be framed in terms of the internet... misguided belief that Twitter could foment revolution in Iran in 2009...."
- ↑ Robert W. McChesney, New Press, The, Mar 5, 2013, Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy, Retrieved August 13, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 ELLEN ULLMAN, MAY 17, 2013, The New York Times, Big Data Is Watching You: ‘To Save Everything, Click Here,’ by Evgeny Morozov, Retrieved August 13, 2015, "...He derides an ideology he calls “Internet-centrism,” which defines the network not as a tool created by fallible human beings but as a creed to live by...."
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gideon Lewis-Kraus, September 2013 issue, Harper's magazine, Numerical Madness: Critiques of a life online, Retrieved August 13, 2015, "...Discussed in this essay: To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism, by Evgeny Morozov. PublicAffairs. 432 pages. $28.99....To Evgeny Morozov, who has emerged as perhaps the most useful — wittingly and unwittingly — technological skeptic around, such “Internet-centrism” is just a new name for old messianic ways of thinking..."
- ↑ Brian Bergstein, February 20, 2013,Technology Review, The Problem with Our Data Obsession: The quest to gather ever more information can make us value the wrong things and grow overconfident about what we know., Retrieved August 13, 2015, "...Evgeny Morozov worries that we are too often making this trade-off—opting to publish more information to increase transparency even if it undermines principles such as privacy or civic involvement.... Internet-centrism is warping our view of what’s truly important..."
- ↑ ALEXIS C. MADRIGAL, March 13, 2013, The Atlantic, Toward a Complex, Realistic, and Moral Tech Criticism: Evgeny Morozov's second book is a brilliant, confounding work of creative destruction., Retrieved August 13, 2015, "...Internet-centrism is the idea that our society, and particularly its public intellectuals, have become fascinated by the notion that the Internet is a stable and coherent force in our lives ..."
- ↑ Evgeny Morozov, APRIL 3 2013, Slate Magazine, To Save Everything, Click Here: Technology journalism must be more than gadget reviews and business plans., Retrieved August 13, 2015, "...Internet-centrism is ... actually lead to profound confusion; we lose sight of the roles they play in framing our public debates. ..."
- ↑ Tim Wu, April 12, 2013, The Washington Post, Book review: ‘To Save Everything, Click Here’ by Evgeny Morozov, Retrieved August 13, 2015, "...But the idea that the Internet is just a concept goes only so far. ... Morozov, however, any such discussions amount to “Internet-centrism,” which for him seems to be a kind of thought crime...."
- ↑ Steven Poole, 20 March 2013, The Guardian, To Save Everything, Click Here by Evgeny Morozov – review -- Morozov takes a hard look at the claims of cybertheorists and concludes that our techno future might be dark and dangerous, Retrieved August 13, 2015,
External links[edit]
- "Against Epochalism: An Analysis of Conceptions of Change in British Sociology" by Mike Savage in Cultural Sociology July 2009 vol. 3 no. 2 217-238
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