{"id":1434,"date":"2011-02-08T01:59:35","date_gmt":"2011-02-08T01:59:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/will-facebook-and-youtube-lead-to-freedom-a-new-book-says-no.html"},"modified":"2011-02-08T01:59:35","modified_gmt":"2011-02-08T01:59:35","slug":"will-facebook-and-youtube-lead-to-freedom-a-new-book-says-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2011\/02\/will-facebook-and-youtube-lead-to-freedom-a-new-book-says-no.html","title":{"rendered":"Will Facebook and YouTube Lead to Freedom? A New Book Says “No”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, I blogged on a recent article<\/a> in the New York Times<\/i> that points to the extraordinary influence of Facebook and YouTube in the protests in Egypt. Is this time to celebrate the power of the Internet to bring political and social liberation?<\/p>\n

\"morozov-net-delusion-5.jpg\"<\/form>\n

No, says Evgeny Morozov, author of Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom<\/a><\/i>. Ironically, this book was reviewed in last Sunday’s New York Times<\/i>,<\/a> the same edition that contained the article on how social media are fueling protests in Egypt. Before we get too excited about how the Internet is going to set us free, Morozov urges caution:<\/p>\n

Here are some excerpts from the Lee Siegel’s review in the Times<\/i>:<\/p>\n

\n

\nAs Evgeny Morozov demonstrates in “The Net Delusion,” his brilliant and
\ncourageous book, the Internet’s contradictions and confusions are just
\nbecoming visible through the fading mist of Internet euphoria. Morozov
\nis interested in the Internet’s political ramifications. “What if the
\nliberating potential of the Internet also contains the seeds of
\ndepoliticization and thus dedemocratization?” he asks. The Net delusion
\nof his title is just that. Contrary to the “cyberutopians,” as he calls
\nthem, who consider the Internet a powerful tool of political
\nemancipation, Morozov convincingly argues that, in freedom’s name, the
\nInternet more often than not constricts or even abolishes freedom.\n<\/p>\n

\nMorozov recounts a speech given by Hillary Clinton a year ago in which
\nshe proclaimed the power and the glory of the Internet, speaking of
\n“harnessing the power of connection technologies” to “put these tools in
\nthe hands of people around the world who will use them to advance
\ndemocracy and human rights.” Clinton was perhaps not aware that, as
\nMorozov wryly puts it, “the most popular Internet searches on Russian
\nsearch engines are not for ‘what is democracy?’ or ‘how to protect human
\nrights’ but for ‘what is love?’ and ‘how to lose weight.’ ” And she
\nhad perhaps forgotten the speech she herself made in 2005. On that
\noccasion, she characterized the Internet as “the biggest technological
\nchallenge facing parents and children today,” calling it “an instrument
\nof enormous danger.” <\/p>\n

\nClinton’s strange double perspective, in which the Internet is
\nliberating in undemocratic societies yet fraught with potential harm
\nhere, is the kind of contradiction Morozov is out to expose. He labels
\nit “digital Orientalism,” the belief that in repressive societies, the
\nInternet can be a force only for benevolent political change.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It sounds to me like The Net Delusion<\/i> is a book to be read<\/a>. I have purchased it and hope to start reading it soon.<\/p>\n

No matter what side you take in the debate over the liberating potential of the Internet, a couple of things are surely true. First, it is surely true that the Internet has tremendous, untold power to shape our lives. We won’t even begin to make sense of this power for many years. Therefore and second, it is surely true that we need to be careful students of the impact of the Internet and related technologies on our lives. Simplistic theories about the goodness or badness of the Internet will simply not account for the complexity of its personal and social ramifications. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, I blogged on a recent article in the New York Times that points to the extraordinary influence of Facebook and YouTube in the protests in Egypt. Is this time to celebrate the power of the Internet to bring political and social liberation? No, says Evgeny Morozov, author of Net Delusion: The Dark Side of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81,128],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-internet","category-technology"],"yoast_head":"\nWill Facebook and YouTube Lead to Freedom? A New Book Says "No" - Mark D. 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A New Book Says “No”"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1434"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1434\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}