The global village of the Internet: Anyone can speak at any time. The network makes responsible people. Really? Björn Raddatz, therefore, is based on the real village square!
The Internet in the 90s, when it was really new territory, it has stimulated the imagination. What would it be like if over the Internet, each with each contact, each say unfiltered is his opinion and the opinions of others could read! A great opportunity: responsible, self-motivated people that can form a direct and self-opinions, exchange ideas about God and the world. As the Internet came with fiependen Modems over the slow telephone line to the house, because the hopes were great.
Big hopes, small ways
I had as a theology Student at a relatively early age a connection to the Internet via the Uni, in the I from home dial-in. Many pages there were, you could access. And it took you long enough, until the Netscape Browser has a page set up. WWW – that once stood for “world-wide wait”. I sat in surrendem fan on the Desk in front of me, a large Monitor flickered slightly, and have a lot of waiting. I would not have believed at the time that you can earn money with it. Today, I work as an Internet editor. Meanwhile, most of the German carry around the Internet in your pocket with information, contacts – everything in high speed. But it has made us the power, the direct communication, empowered, emancipated? Has become the network of the market of ideas, of the in the 90s, has dreamed of?
Trends in the Social Web
I think: Only to a limited extent. The entertainment is not part of the conversation to send a partner only, but also to receive. Not only talking, but also listening. In recent years, there have been two trends: The radical views of a take on the net a greater place than in the company: When it comes to Likes, has reached the AfD, the majority for a long time: more Than 400,000 “Likes” at Facebook under 200,000 Likes for SPD, CDU, Green – below 150,000 “likes” for the FDP. The side of the EKD, the Evangelical Church of Germany, has only 20,000 Likes, which in my Hessian state Church EKHN no 4.000. But: In the real world, the orders of magnitude are very different: Indeed, the AfD has only 30,000 members – while around 45 million German (yet) baptized members of a Church. Who represents actually a silent majority?
The second tendency: The Emotion that weighs more than the thought-out Argument. Many Internet users are driven by emotions, flooded by nonsense-claims and conspiracy theories – and have become by the network, just not the age of majority and is emancipated. On The Contrary. Suddenly people believe that the earth is flat or hollow, because other conspiracy theorists have posted an article from an Online magazine for conspiracy theorists, in which this discovery is claimed. Who needs science? And this is still harmless. The fear of microwaves or vaccinations are widespread, though their modes of action are explored for a long time and understood. This actually puts people in danger of their lives. And social networks such as Facebook disclaim any responsibility to delete such nonsense from your pages. Each and everyone has a right to an opinion, even on issues to which there are not different opinions.
Get out of the network
How pleasant the life is! In the wine village in which I live, there is a weekly market. A cart with meat, one with fish, bread, Turkish Delicatessen, fruit and vegetables – and a winery is giving out. In the middle: beer benches. And since the residents can sit, drink wine, eat and get to talking. In the middle of the mayor, the Council, the pastor, Church rector: the village-Meet at the relaxed, cheerful mood. What comes in the digital large market of the Internet, unfortunately, much too short: On the small real market it works. Direct contact, agreements on the short chain of command. There are Baptisms forged announced dates knocked on the door, plans. Quite analogous.
About The Author:
Björn Raddatz was born in 1970 as a pastor’s child, and studied in Mainz and Bonn, and theology. Now, he works as an Internet editor at a TV station.