The Future of the Internet’s influence on Political Campaigns
Kevin O’Connor
Virginia Tech English Student

With the extremely rapid development of the Internet over the last decade, it becomes difficult to imagine exactly how much more growth potential exists. That being said, with the popularity of the Internet and all that it provides, it becomes hard to deny the fact that the Internet has become one of the largest outlets for information of all sorts, and thus we can assume that progress is inevitable. There are also unlimited possibilities of profits to be made on the web, and in 25 years, who knows exactly what the United States as well as the rest of the World will choose to pay for. One area of the World Wide Web that could see drastic change within the next two and a half decades is the Politics sector. As politicians continue to broadcast their ideas and values through the Internet, it is safe to assume that the trend will only continue. But how exactly will the politicians utilize the internet 25 years from now? And specifically, will it be their only means of broadcast?

The future of politics and the internet, I believe, will be a very bright one. Not only will debate over the top issues increase via the internet through blogs and online forums, but also outreach will increase. By the year 2033, with an increase in households being able to afford the internet combined with an exponential hike in technological advancements, the internet will have spread to nearly every American, much like the ability to obtain network television stations today. As said in a report by the Pew Internet And American Life Project, most likely an inexpensive internet will be able to reach all people of the globe. “By 2020, worldwide network interoperability will be perfected, allowing smooth data flow, authentication and billing; mobile wireless communications will be available to anyone anywhere on the globe at an extremely low cost” (Pew). A clear majority of the 742 experts polled agreed with that statement. Perhaps computers and the internet will take the place of televisions, and cable companies will only exist through the web. Therefore, debates between candidates will be held through the internet. Speeches will only be able to be seen on the internet. Even the voting process will be strictly held through the web. There will be no need to travel to a voting booth and wait in line. Americans will also be able to track at real time speeds how their candidate is performing. However, with the increase in those who will be able to use and afford the internet, as well as the fact that the internet will expand along with its user base, the possibility of government restrictions on it may increase as well, proving that those politicians who we choose to follow on the internet may be the same people who choose exactly what we are allowed to see on the web. Perhaps the internet will provide the same choices as cable companies do today with more programming options than other lower-priced scenarios.

The Pew Internet And American Life Project also touched on this subject. “Many of the elaborations recorded by those who disagreed with the 2020 operating environment scenario express concerns over the possibility that the internet will be forced into a tiered-access structure such as those now offered by cellular communications providers and cable and satellite television operators. Mark Gaved of The Open University in the UK sees it this way. ‘The majority of people will be able to access a seamless, always-on, high-speed network which operates by verifying their ID,’ he predicted. ‘However there will be a low-income, marginalized population in these countries who will only have access to limited services and have to buy into the network at higher rates, in the same way people with poor credit ratings cannot get monthly mobile phone contracts but pay higher pay-as-you-go charges” (Pew). This could mean that not all political information will be able to be accessed by all users. Maybe politicians will finance all of their campaigns through profits from citizens who pay to find out more about the candidates. Although this seems like a less viable option for the candidates, as one would think they would want their word to reach as many people as possible without the constraints of a monetary issue, but in 25 years it is very hard to determine exactly how the economy will run, and also what Americans will be paying for.

Conclusively, future generations in my opinion will be looking to the internet for all of their political information and needs. In 25 years, I believe that all the paper advertising we see today, including billboards, lawn signs, stickers and other such products will be eliminated due to the fact that most Americans by then will have the internet right in the palm of their hands at all times during the day. With an increase in the amount of people being able to afford the internet, as described in the Pew Internet research survey, there will be ample opportunity for politicians to get the word out. Though the government in 25 years may have more control over how the internet is used and paid for, this should not limit the ability for every American citizen to discover and research exactly what it is they choose to via the web. The future of the internet is extremely exciting, and with the increased usage by politicians combined with the ability of the internet to reach millions even billions of people, it is easy to assume that they are just as excited.

WORKS CITED
1.) “The Future of the Internet II”. Pew Internet & American Life Project. 24 September, 2006. http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Future_of_Internet_2006.pdf