The People's Platform By Astra Taylor

Essay #2: The People’s Platform Optimists of the technological future would say that the Internet has become a “people’s platform” – a free and open space in which anyone can do and say anything online. The rise of amateur artists, journalists, and content creators making and profiting from their work online has left many feeling hopeful and maybe a little too dependent. These “cheerleaders of progress”, or techno-optimists, hold the belief that the accessibility and ability to efficiently share information creates a connectedness that should be celebrated and results in an equal paying field. However, skeptics of the Internet (techno-skeptics) or the “prophets of doom” would argue that the interconnectedness of the Internet in our everyday

Taylor’s main argument throughout her book is that, “despite the exciting opportunities the Internet offers, we are witnessing not a leveling of the cultural playing field, but a rearrangement, with new winners and losers” (7). While social media and the Internet creates an easy and accessible way to share content, she warns that the Web is filled with social and economic inequalities that need to be addressed. While she doesn’t agree with techno-skeptics that technology is ruining our brains, she has a lot of criticisms against techno-optimists and their belief of a free, just Internet. Throughout this essay, I will summarize her arguments about who’s really winning and losing in today’s digital age of cultural

I can’t even recall every sexist or racist comment that’s ever been said about me on the Internet, especially since I tweet about and comment on a lot of controversial topics. When the Gopher football rape scandal happened last year, I remember tweeting about how disgusted I was at the team for protecting a potential perpetrator. I also remember the tweets that came afterward from people I did not even know – from old men calling me disgusting racist and sexist slurs, insulting my appearance and education, and trolling so many other women like me who were tweeting about this topic as well. When the #MeToo started trending, I didn’t even attempt to post anything on my social media after seeing so many of my friends harassed for sharing their stories. Techno-optimists say that the Internet is an open place free of prejudice, yet I see rape culture and misogyny online on the daily. In this sense, I agree with Taylor that this inequality needs to be addressed and taken