The Internet- Innovative Invention
“There was no danger because the fuel rods were stable and being cooled”: this is the phrase that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the media in Japan used and uses again and again when accidents about nuclear plant are reported (“Radiation”). However, it is completely doubtful. People did hear this phrase when the media reported there was no meltdown but after that, it turned out that meltdown was partially under way (“Radiation”). Even after this fact was announced, the media used the same phrase: there was no danger (“Radiation”). Actually the meltdown was NOT PARTIAL but its incident level was 7 as the same to Chernobyl (“Hukuashima”). What on the earth could the media use the phrase which is not based on the reality. What is more, the media in Japan is STILL reporting that there is no risk to human health. Yet, the media in abroad is reporting completely different an outlook. According to CBS News, Japanese government is telling residents in Hukushima that there is no risk but many international experts don’t support this outlook. They say that there does exist the risk, especially for children (CBS). ABC News also criticized that Japanese government forces unnecessary risks to the childrens. The influence on children is difficult to estimate so Japanese government should take action in order to save such a little lives. However, Japanese can’t know that sort of opinion on the TV or newspapers because the media don’t report the news which danger existence of the nuclear plant. What people can is try to get the information through the Internet or ask the experts. 99,182,000 and 78.4%: this is the latest data of the number of the Internet users in Japan and the penetration based on Japanese population according to Internet world Stats, which is an international website that shows world Internet usage from 233 countries. When we look at the situation in the world, there are 2,095,006,005 users on March 31, 2011 (Internet). Can you imagine that huge number of the people is using the Internet, which just born decades ago. However, in Japan, mass media still occupy majority, and general citizens don’t have the opportunity and never come to mind to express their idea to public by themselves (Waltz 4). But as seen in the incident in Fukushima, Society has to take an action to make it clear what is the truth. In order to avoid media control and get sufficient and reasonable information, Society should utilize the Internet as alternative media. It is true that there does exist dangers of fully relying on the Internet, but benefits are more crucial and without changing the concept toward the Internet, people no longer live as independent citizens because they cannot handle the real information.
Using the Internet as alternative media provides us three advantages. First, it enables people to share ideas and develop knowledge more easily. Second, it enables people to look at both side of the news or issues whenever they want. Third, it enables people to gather opinions which may difficult to reach the government or companies, which have strong power.
First, let’s look at the first advantage: easy to get and easy to develop. It means that the Internet can help people to share ideas and develop knowledge more easily. This facility is supported by two factors provided by the characteristics of the Internet. One is that the internet is free of restriction of place and the other is that the internet is free of restriction of time. Thanks to this characteristic, people can get any information wherever they live and whenever they want. Second advantage is possibility of both-side thinking. It means that because of the diversity of the information on the internet, people can look at the issue from various perspectives. Third advantage is easy to form opinions. This means that, as citizens, people can use the power of majority. For example, demonstration against nuclear plant was taken place in shinzyuku, koenzi. It shows that the internet make citizens’ activity more lively.
Unfortunately, however, there does exist disadvantages. First disadvantage is possibility to attack certain people or group overwhelmingly, or to cause a panic in public. Second disadvantage is that it hard to detect which sources are more factual.
It is true that there exsit disadvantages sutated above, but benefits are more crucial. If we pursue a perfection, people can use nothing. Society has to take the failure steps for the success.
However, If Japanese society will really promote the Internet as the alternative media, people have to pay attention to a changing in the Internet. Recently in the U.S, an argument about the internet access has been occurred and be in a process: Net neutrality. Net neutrality is the concept that Internet service companies should treat all information on the Internet equally (“Net”), in other word, the companies cannot control their Internet access speed depending on consumers payings. However in the U.S, it has been the center of a debate over whether those companies can give preferential treatment to content providers who pay for faster transmission, or to their own content, in effect creating a two-tier Web, and about whether they can block or impede content representing controversial points of view(NET). Reason why net neutrality should be kept is that it could create risks that the information on the internet could be controlled and the internet could become the media similar to the mass media. This possibility may reduce the advantages of the internet media as I mentioned before Therefore, in order to keep the internet media as a innovative instrument to express own opinions freely and effectively, people should keep the internet access identical to everyone uses the internet. Without this struggle, the internet will lost its power ……
In order to make efficient use of the Internet, both people and society always have to have one things in their mind. For a society, Net neutrality and for peoples, critical thinker.
1) Be aware of disadvantages and 2) Be a critical thinker.
As shown above, the Internet do have the power to change the situation in Japan and promote citizens’ activities. In order to avoid media control and get sufficient and reasonable information, Japanese society should utilize the Internet and use the Internet as the tool of exchanging ideas. Without changing the concept toward the Internet, Japanese no longer live as independent citizens. In other word, we no longer mention the disadvantage, but we must look at and take the advantages more. The internet is wonderful tool to promote real democracy.
