Abstract

This paper offers a brief history of the information age in order to demonstrate
how the loss of user control and the increase in certain forms of automation have
metastasized into imminent and ongoing threats to social order and the democratic
way of life.

The internet was established after a number of developments which included the
interconnection of computers without extensive need of action by the users. It led to
the introduction of user communication sub-systems such as text, email, file sharing
and systems for searching for files. The so called information age is said to be marked
by the adaption of a hypertext transport protocol in the last decade of the twentieth
century. The information age was marked by a number of meetings which included
the first of the world wide web conference in April 1994 followed by the second
(Oct. 1994) and the third(April 1995) in quick succession. Other, by invitation only,
meetings which dealt with issue of this era were held in Denver, OH(Metadata) and
(America in the Age of Information)Bethesda, MD.

However, in just under three decades this information age has meta-stasis-ed into
a form that is a threat to our social order and democratic way of life while fostering
division. Enormous wealth has been garnered by just a few corporations and individ-
uals at the expense of the harm it is doing to people all over the globe. This is the
result of the spreading of fake-news and favouring angry content that result in civil
strife and loss of lives. It has led to divisiveness and autocratic governments. Some so
called democracies are in name only with the same people continuing in their ’elected’
position from term to term, ad infinitum. Just as in the metastasis of a cancer, until
it is checked, this transformed internet will destroy some vital parts of our everyday
existence: our privacy and liberty while promoting an inegalitarian spirit.