POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ASPECTS PRESENT IN THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Among the main positive and negative aspects of the democratization of knowledge are the fact that this practice in many cases promotes the development of various social groups thanks to easy access to information, but at the same time it is in constant variation, which can make it difficult to adapt to new scenarios.

Democratization of knowledge is called the possibility that a large percentage of human populations can access information and knowledge at low cost or for free.

One of the positive aspects of the democratization of knowledge is greater access to information. Source: pixabay.com

Thanks to the technologies developed during the 20th and 21st centuries -such as the creation of the Internet- it has been possible to make knowledge accessible to almost all human beings.

Just a few decades ago, if a person wanted to acquire information on a specific topic, they had to search with difficulty in libraries, where in many cases knowledge was kept censored or restricted. Nowadays an individual can read, learn and know without the need to leave home or invest in expensive encyclopedias.

Likewise, this informational and communicational phenomenon has almost obligatorily introduced new educational methods, breaking with teaching standards.

For this reason, institutions worldwide have had to adapt to the new requirements. One of the most important aspects that the democratization of information has implemented is the individual character of each human being, understanding that each person apprehends and processes knowledge differently.

It can be established that the democratization of knowledge has great advantages, since it allows every citizen to stay informed in order to develop a critical sense. However, it can also have negative consequences: in certain cases incorrect or false information is leaked, harming those who obtain it.

Positive and negative aspects of the democratization of knowledge

-Positive aspects

One of the advantages of the democratization of information is that thanks to this each person can decide individually what, how, when, where and with whom to receive knowledge.

In fact, thanks to the Internet, you can receive online courses in any discipline, such as learning another language or doing cooking activities.

In educational institutions

Within educational institutions, the democratization of knowledge allows each student and teacher to have equal participation in making decisions about the way in which classes are taught; They can also comment on the regulations and penalties.

According to experts, through this educational phenomenon, students can take ownership and be part of their education plan. In previous decades, students only had to obey and could not exercise any critical or evaluative judgment with respect to the way in which knowledge was taught.

Thanks to these possibilities offered by the democratization of knowledge, it is often the case that students attend classes with greater enthusiasm, in addition to being more motivated to participate in academic activities.

It has been established that there is a general motivational increase, since the new teaching methods are more interactive and inclusive; As said in previous paragraphs, the democratization of knowledge appeals to the individuality of each person, so it adapts to the needs and ways of learning of each one.

-Negative aspects

Within educational institutions

One of the disadvantages of the democratization of learning is that it is a method that is still being developed, so there may be some flaws within the new system. In addition, as new technologies advance, this method must be modified, so it is constantly changing.

Due to globalization and the speed with which new information is generated, it is difficult for institutions to keep up with these methods and forms of teaching.

Similarly, this process not only needs to be adapted to individual needs, but also to the collective aspirations of the community. Therefore, the cultural aspect maintains a notable weight within the new methods, which represents a challenge for those who wish to successfully connect the individual with their context.

Another obstacle that the democratization of knowledge must face is that it must reach all social strata, not only certain households and schools with purchasing power. Although new technologies and new methods are often inexpensive, many communities do not have the opportunity to enjoy them.

The problems of the Internet and networks

Regarding the ease of accessing information, this can often cause conflicts of understanding; therefore, many connoisseurs have proposed the creation of filters to enact a series of verifiable and current knowledge.

The Internet is considered a giant and infinite library. However, most of the reliable sources are in English and require a subscription to enjoy them; This is one of the criticisms that have been raised regarding the democratization of knowledge, since in the end there are certain limitations that reduce access to information.

Access to knowledge: educational projects

To combat this informational inequality, certain projects have been created that seek to provide free and quality information in any language.

An ideal example of democratized knowledge can be seen on web pages such as Wikipedia, in which a group of people, through their wisdom, collaborate with content on certain cultural, scientific, and literary topics, among others. However, to be able to take advantage of this information, digital literacy within institutions is necessary.

This means that new educational methods must teach lessons on the proper use of information technology. An average student should know from how to search for digital knowledge to recognize the veracity of a web page.

For example, in the United States, President Barack Obama enacted an initiative called ConnectED, which sought to provide equal access to educational digital resources.

Similarly, in Spain they also tried to collect funds so that all schools had high speed Internet; This project was also accompanied by proposals to promote training and inclusion.

In other words, in order to overcome educational obstacles, institutions and organizations must put aside traditional teachings and adapt to new digital resources. In this way, the democratization of knowledge and information can be guaranteed in a healthy, educational and updated way.

References

1. Halm, D, (2018) Democratizing knowledge: pending challenge in the information society. Retrieved on June 4, 2019 from El País: retina.elpais.com
2. Ugalde, J. (sf) Democratize knowledge and use knowledge: the vision of a scientist. Retrieved on June 4, 2019 from Euskonews and Media: euskonews.eus
3. Vallejo, S. (2016) Democratize knowledge. Retrieved on June 4, 2019 from El Telégrafo: eltelegrafo.com.ec
4. Vargas, S. (2018) Democratizing knowledge in the information age. Retrieved on June 4, 2019 from Eje Central: ejecentral.com.mx
5. Asencio, G. (2013). The democratization of information, a contribution to social development. Retrieved on June 4, 2019 from El Quinto Poder: elquintopoder.cl