Cass R. Sunstein talks about the polarization of the consumer’s life in the modern digital age. By this he means that due to the complete customization that we experience each day it is possible to surround ourselves by content that we align with. He argues that a Republican is more inclined to read or watch a breaking news story on FOX while a Democrat would prefer to watch the same story on CNN. People that have niche interests or have peculiar hobbies might find their group on the Internet. This trend, Sunstein argues, is making the average American more polarized, leading us to have less in common with our fellow man. The result has been felt in the media, in politics, and in our social lives. The more options we have to choose from the more we begin to focus our likes and dislikes away from what may be common, but to things that are custom. Taylor made around our interests are TV shows, websites or blogs, and especially music. By insulating ourselves this mass customization is leading to a mass polarization, which may one day rob us of common qualities at all. The fear that Sunstein warns of is that we may become so out of touch with our neighbors and community that we may not be able to come together to solve problems or make progress, especially in government. In an article by David Murton he discusses the WI-FI dilemma and just how the use of it in coffee shops dilutes our social boundry. In one sense we are closer to someone we may be talking to on our laptops than the people we are literally sitting next to in a coffee shop. This reinforces the notion that our internet self is more true and social than our self in the real world.
Posted By: Mike Anderson
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