
DigitalDisconnecttrainsitssightsontherelationshipbetweentheinternetanddemocracyintheageoffakenews,filterbubbles,andFacebooksecuritybreaches.Movingfromthedevelopmentoftheinternetasapubliclyfundedprojectinthelate1960stoitsfull-scalecommercializationtoday,renownedmediascholarRobertMcChesneytraceshowthedemocratizingpotentialoftheinternethasbeenradicallycompromisedbythelogicofcapitalismandtheunaccountablepowerofahandfuloftelecomandtechmonopolies.Alongtheway,McChesneyexaminestheongoingattackonnetneutralitybytelecommonopolieslikeComcastandVerizon;exploreshowinternetgiantslikeFacebookandGooglehaveamassedhugeprofitsbysurreptitiouslycollectingpersonaldataandsellingittoadvertisers;andshowshowthesecompanieshaveroutinelycolludedwiththenationalsecuritystatetoadvancecovertmasssurveillanceprograms.Evenmoreurgently,thefilmdetailshowtheriseofsocialmediaasaleadinginformationsourceisworkingtoisolatepeopleintoideologicalfilterbubblesandelevatefakenewsattheexpenseofrealjournalism.Whilemostdebatesabouttheinternetcontinuetofocusonissueslikethepersonalimpactofinternetaddictionorthequestionabledata-miningpracticesofindividualcompanieslikeFacebook,DigitalDisconnectdigsdeepertoshowhowcapitalismitselfisturningtheinternetagainstdemocracy.Theresultisanindispensableclassroomresource--avitaltoolforhelpingstudentsmakesenseofatechnologicalrevolutionthat’sradicallytransformingvirtuallyaspectofhumancommunication.