Internet Destroying Democracy, Episode 4,012

At the ongoing national association of broadcasters convention, many are flummoxed and fearful about the new-fangled media monster called The Internet. With more choices in consumers hands, how can the media masters of today ever hope to keep up?

So I am hopeful that director Barry Sonnenfeld was being ironic and speaking with some tongue in cheek when he told the convention this:

"The really scary part is how hypnotic it is. The 'Net is so pervasive that kids are on it all day."

Sonnenfeld fears that children today will grow up with "no concept of the right to privacy and in fact not understand the need for it. Because the Facebook generation is not concerned with what people know about them . . . they will have no problem with additional governmental supervision, spying and intervention. They will be thrilled that the Internet will be able to follow their every move.

"I suspect," he said, "we are probably looking at the last generation of Americans that exist in a democracy. Totalitarianism is not far in our future, and the next generation will go down that road happily.

"My only hope is the Bush administration has screwed things up so profoundly -- socially, economically and environmentally -- that perhaps they will be angered by how our generation has selfishly destroyed their future and will put down that computer," he said.

Film at 11.