Truly fascinating the modern world. A space of so much abundance while making many feel so alone and empty.

 

Luckily for everyone the modern world has also given a home to the internet. The space of communication, connecting anyone with everyone. With so much inter-connectivity the glorious dystopian voice of mainstream media is slowly fading, instead being engulfed by the thousands of online interactions and websites.

 

For a fond curator of weird like myself these online spaces are the perfect place to meet the strangest mavericks and least stable abnormalities. All the people worth learning about in order to taste the world. 

 

For many of these pioneers of strange the internet gives them the chance to meet others, create online groups and test their ideas and interests among close circles. Compared to the previously sanitised stream of mundane courtesy of big corporations these groups can now push the boundaries of whatever they wish. 

 

The growing shift in how the world consumes information has baffled mass media companies. Jeff Jarvis, a professor for Entrepreneurial Journalism simply said “we need to make less content, but make it fu**ing better!” (Newsgeist 2015), while up to now it seems mass media has taken the quantity approach. This shift is also worrying many specifically news organisations. As groups become ever increasingly fringe political attitudes are becoming ever more polarised. A pew research study shows how in America, the shift between the two parties is startling with over 90% of democrats now more liberal than the average republican, and vice versa (Pew Research Center 2014). 

 

Such growth in extremism has become an increasingly contentious topic as regulation has been suggested to suppress these groups, but by doing so, are you suppressing thought? 

 

Gone has the black and white of old media and into the brave new world of colour. Though the oranges may hate the pinks, and yellows despise blues, for now everyone can speak.

 

So as a community we must decide, is Voltaire still the backbone of our society?