For sociologist Jen Schradie, conservative ideas dominate because of the fact, including online reproduction of social inequalities and slogans better adapted to social networks.
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Is the internet right? Behind this formulation a little brutal, subtitle of the book the illusion of digital democracy. Is the Internet right? (The Revolution That Wasn’t, How Digital Activism Conservative Favors, published in 2019, whose French version will be published in France on March 24 at Quanto), the sociologist Jen Schradie analyzes the mechanisms that allowed the climb online conservative ideas , or even their domination.
Social inequalities, which are perpetuated online, are added structural differences (hierarchy and division of tasks) between the organizations on the left and right, as well as a greater adequacy of the conservative messages to the way operating social networks. These different factors “transform these platforms into true megaphones of the conservative word”, according to the lattice.
Although his study is based on an investigation carried out exclusively in the United States, whose political situation as social is different from that of France, Jen Schradie believes that his conclusions also allow to apprehend, on the eve of the day. presidential, which takes place on the internet in the hexagon.
In your book, you talk about “hidden costs of the internet”. What is it?
Jen Schradie: What I have shown is that there is a large ditch in terms of digital activism, due to three factors. The first is social inequalities, the second, institutions and structures, and the last, ideology. The question of inequality is the main one. If you and I decide to participate in a demonstration for Ukraine, for example, we would have to spend money for the metro or the RER, find a way to keep the children, maybe take a leave … he There are therefore all these costs related to participating in such an event.
That’s why many researchers thought, but without having the data to prove it, that having the opportunity to mobilize online could radically lower these costs, since everyone can take part in an action Simply with his computer. But the problem is that it does not take into account the inequalities of social classes that we still find in having access or not the Internet, but also to have time, the skills, the understanding and feeling of legitimacy needed to participate. And even if you have an internet connection, the gadgets it takes, the smartphone, if you know how to use the platforms, poster a video on tiktok … All that always constitutes a form of cost.
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