McChesney brings up all these numbers to make a point that the Internet – and the various technologies that make it possible – have a huge impact on our societies. Given its size, impact, and scope, the Internet touches many aspects of our lives.
But do we have the power, the know-how, and the ability to understand these changes, let alone try and manage them?
McChesney points out that powerful stakeholders are shaping our access to and experiences with the Internet. He writes that “The economy has adapted to the Internet and is now populated by digital industries, with colossal firms that mostly did not exist when most Americans were born” (p.3).
In light of these changes, he asks: “in view of the Internet’s magnitude, complexity, exponential growth, and unpredictable gyrations, how can we even begin to make sense of what is taking place?” (p.3).
In the video below from 2012, Editor-at-Large for Wired magazine Ben Hammersley discusses how we might face the digital future without fear.