ABSTRACT
In fundamental ways, however, the struggle over free expression is grounded in history. The Internet is seen as interconnected with the offline world, associated with limitations on free expression. Free expression as a form of citizenship, however, may range on the Internet from mythical town hall democracy to anonymous public opinion. The evolution of free expression not happens in static models. Instead, free expression needs to be viewed as a dynamic force central to cultural change. Unlike print or broadcast mass media, cyberspace has become a more open space for free expression to compete in the marketplace of ideas. The digital age helps us to understand free expression in new ways. Free expression in the age of the Internet might be promoted by teaching people to make individual judgments about media content. This chapter addresses the theoretical limitations in understanding free expression as a social phenomenon, as well as the problems associated with the technological overlay.
