Does Social Media Help or Hurt Democracy?

With Twitter lauded for bringing down tyrannies and Facebook valued at more than $50 billion, we seem to be entering a new phase of digital utopianism. The interactivity of social networking and open data are seen by many as the drivers of a more participatory and democratic culture.

Yet critics have long argued against the effects of the net in relation to privacy and corporate power, and argue the web’s culture of personalization undermines the exercise of democratic judgment.

At a recent panel discussion, Open Society Fellow Evgeny Morozov and other experts attempted to distinguish the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to the interaction between new media and politics.

Listen above.