The world wide web was supposed to usher in an era of connection between various cultures, opinions, and voices around the world. However, according to Ethan Zuckerman, the overwhelming majority of online users simply access domestic media and surround ourselves with people just like us.

Logging onto the internet may give us an illusory feeling of cosmopolitanism, but when we look at the demographics (racial or ideological) of our facebook/twitter feeds, or the country of origin of most media we access, it begs the question: Are we really using the internet to break down barriers, or is the unprecedented ability to “choose” which people and information sources we interact with ironically allowing us to sequester ourselves in exclusively like-minded-media?

How can we more effectively unlock the connective functions for which we extol the communication age?

http://www.ted.com/talks/ethan_zuckerman.html

Zuckerman explores this idea at TED 2010. This talk is well worth the time of anyone interested in communication, journalism, or social media.

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