Emily Jacobs Open Source Democracy “Those who witnessed or, better, have participated in the development of the interactive mediaspace have a very new understanding of the way that culture narratives are developed, monopolised and challenged” (Rushkoff, 2010). Douglas Rushkoff, author of the essay Open Source Democracy, how online communication is changing offline politics wrote these words in the opening of his essay. An essay that describes the evolution of communication and the fact that technology is a member of our society. In the 19080’s computers where simply used to write and store data. But today that computer is home to the Internet, which has become an integral part of our lives because it is interactive. As Rushkoff said, this means that everyday people are not only passive receivers of ‘old’ media, but we are now senders of information. Changes in communication and technology are coming with every new generation, because our society must keep up with the ideas of the people. In this pattern of change seen by Rushkoff, not only communication is changing, but also the technique and form of writing. Writing is no longer used to simply tell a story, the Internet has allowed people to become part of your life. The most obvious example of this is blogging. Anyone with access to a smart phone or a computer can sit down and write about anything they wish. A person can open up to the world. But the change we see is how we write. From two of the most popular social media outlets, Facebook and Twitter, our writing has become condensed. Communication between the best of friends or complete strangers has become a conversation of 140 characters. “The very survival of democracy as a functional reality may be dependent upon our acceptance, as individuals, of adult roles in conceiving and stewarding the shape and direction of society. And we may get our best rehearsal for these roles online” (Rushkoff, 2010). Whether my understanding of this quote from Rushkoff is accurate, the Internet has allowed society to find jobs and create opportunities. Not only has writing changed, but also business has evolved to become part of the online world. Today we see jobs being created because of someone’s ‘Internet’ ability. Because of popular social media sites, companies can communicate and reach a unlimited audience. The technology we see progressing online enables us to hold interviews, conferences, and conversations all online. After reading the essay written by Rushkoff, my mind has opened. With new positive and exciting advancements in technology and communication, there are negative outcomes. Often negative and disturbing ideas spread faster than the good. Communication is so rapid online that it can often get out of hand. Because the Internet is such a powerful tool for more than just communication we have to remember how to handle it. It is amazing to see how far technology has come in such a short period of time. Since we don’t even need a computer in front of us to communicate (smartphones), the changes in electronic environments have become a necessity for our society to survive.