Culutral Optimists Vs Pessimists

Question 1

What do cultural optimists argue?

Answer 1

• new media has led to:
• greater democracy
• more access to information to support wellbeing
• its easier for people to be connected, build communities
• social-life is enhanced

Question 2

What do cultural pessimist argue?

Answer 2

• new media has led to:
• threat to democracy as algorithms create echo-chambers, outrage and fake news
• too much information = less valid information
• allows for cultural imperialism
• harder to regulate = more harmful content

Question 3

What do cultural optimists argue about new media leading to greater democracy?

Answer 3

• its easier to hold powerful people and organisations to account as ordinary people have more power to voice their opinion
• people have more access to information so they can make more informed decisions about governance
• it is easier to organise social groups who can protests, debate and put pressure on governments
• allow more freedom of speech

Question 4

What do cultural pessimists argue about how new media has led to greater democracy?

Answer 4

• media companies have become the sovereigns of cyberspace
• google, facebook, twitter wield a lot of power internationally but are not elected
• through censorship and control

Question 5

What do cultural optimists argue about information and new media?

Answer 5

• new media has allowed an access of information that will benefit us in our daily lives
• creates greater awareness about global issues like climate change, forced child labour etc
• this means that citizens have got greater access to information to help them make informed decisions about who governs them

Question 6

What do cultural pessimists argue about information and new media?

Answer 6

• new media allows for the production and mass-distribution of fake content
• more people are able to reduce information and their ability to do so is not influenced by their ability to produce accurate or in-depth information
• there is sp much information that it means we do not know what is true?

Question 7

What do cultural optimists argue about new media leading to more choice?

Answer 7

• access millions of websites
• compare and choose form hundreds of products
• access to more content to consumer
• blogs, reviews, information can all give consumes far greater ability to make informed choices about how they spend their time

Question 8

What do cultural pessimists about new media and the lack of consumer choice?

Answer 8

• Preston: algorithms mean you end up being shown what you want to see or know you are less likely to see stuff you isn’t know you wanted to see/know

Question 9

What do cultural pessimists argue about the lack of regulation online?

Answer 9

• nobody like Ofcom can check for harmful content online this can enable: child pornography, paedophilia, drug snuggling

Question 10

What do cultural optimists argue about the lack of regulation?

Answer 10

• lack of formal or social regulation online means individuals are free to express themselves in whichever they like or do more government interference

Question 11

What do cultural optimists argue about how new media has lead a better connected world?

Answer 11

• we are able to organise rope globally to tackle global problems
• we are able to build communities with like minded people, and find connections we. May otherwise not have had
• we can connect with others online, this can bring local and global cultures together = promotes cultural diversity