Would today’s polarized political atmosphere exist without the Internet?
That was one of several issues addressed by Eric E. Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, at the company’s Zeitgeist conference in Arizona this week.
Responding to a reporter’s question, Mr. Schmidt said that anyone who predicted that the Internet would pave the way for a more fair, enlightened and educated society was “clearly ignorant of human nature.” And so, he said, the information and communication tools on the Web have contributed to the political polarization we see around us.
Before the Internet, Mr. Schmidt said, small groups of people could not self-organize as easily and quickly as they can now, and online broadcasting tools may amplify people’s voices for good. But they also enable people to “miscommunicate even louder and feel they’re correct,” Mr. Schmidt said. They are as likely, he said, to make people more extremist as they are to make them more thoughtful.
Google, offering up a trove of information with a single click, can help people learn about different points of view and research issues, he continued, but the Internet can just as easily ensure that people hear only from people who share their views.
“There will be a two-tier model,” Mr. Schmidt said. “The people who are educated and really using the Internet to get access to information, their opinions will become much more subtle as a result of this.” But there will also be people who do not care to seek more information, he said.
He brought up the Florida pastor who threatened to burn the Koran until senior government officials persuaded him not to. Some have blamed the media for giving him so much attention.
“It’s illustrative of the imbalance in this new world,” Mr. Schmidt said. “What status did he have in the national conversation? It’s very disturbing.”
