Blogging, Media, and Politics

The blogger revolution has opened many people's eyes to politics for the first time. Many otherwise disinterested people have become engaged in ways previously not possible. But does this actually increase their grasp of reality? When political discussion is magnified and distorted as it undoubtedly has been since the advent of the internet, to what degree do people detach in response to the new onslaught of information?

Satire has bloomed in recent years to deliver political perspective in small, high-definition doses, much like the currently popular usage of political talking points as easily processed messages. These messages reduce complex subjects to soundbites and punchlines, and while this may increase perspective, it may not necessarily make one any smarter. If one is aware of the conflict in the middle east, as most Americans today are, one doesn't necessarily have the capacity for independent, original thought on those matters.

This effect may explain in part the polarization of the political landscape, which is undoubtedly affecting the entire globe. As information is dispensed at greater and greater volumes, the individual adjusts to lessen the onslaught by simplifying the messages. Messages may also be restructured (e.g. satire, shout-shows etc.) to deliver more intense messages that have clear value-judgments attached, which make them more compelling and easy to digest.

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