Filtering the Internet
In
2010, the Afghan government took control of the Afghan people by blacklisting websites that they deemed unethical, such as gambling and pornographic sites.
Although these restrictions are fairly easy to break through using proxies, why
then does the government block the Internet from citizens that are going to use
it anyway?
These Internet regulations were created both to impose government
control over the Afghanistan people, as well as block journalist from reporting
the country’s news in a negative light. For example, the government ordered the
shut down of a website that had falsely reported the death of the Afghanistan vice president. The Internet in any society is a dangerous tool in the eye’s of
the government, on the other hand, it can be considered a useful tool as the
Afghanistan people can research and gather together to overcome issues.
Revolutionizing radio broadcasts
According
to an Internews project on the media landscape in Afghanistan, 73 percent of
the population uses a radio. The radio broadcasts are regulated by the
Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA), which is responsible for
issuing licenses, controlling activities, and creating standards for the
equipment that is used. The ATRA is similar to the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) in America. While the country does have many issues with the
government, it would seem as though they are taking positive steps towards
supporting radio as a medium of communication.
One
such example is the convergence of different media to connect with radio
broadcasts. Afghanistan’s most popular radio station, Radio Azadi, did just
that. The radio station worked with a local mobile service provider in order to
create a mobile news service that sends text messages to the user. This works
both ways as the user can both send and receive photos, news, and video from
the radio station. While this technology has already been used in the US for
several years, the fact that a Third World Country is making successful strides
towards new forms of communication shows that the citizens are willing to
accept the immediacy of information.
Increased use of mobile devices and television
Compared
to the Internet and radio, television and mobile devices are the second and
third most popular media devices in Afghanistan. Mobile phones have more users
compared to televisions with 12.5 million of 27 million citizens subscribingfor cellular use. While television usage is least utilized technology at 45
percent of the people owning one, and 52 percent of those owners that say they
never watch television.
Cynthia Schneider discusses the impact of television shows in developing countries
In 2010, it had been eight and a half years since the United
States led coalition forces to war with the Taliban. Since the war had started,
the Afghanistan people had begun to use popular media in order to keep
themselves knowledgeable about the progress of the war and the culture of
Afghanistan. The Afghan Media Productions provides programming about the rich
influential and historical aspects of Muslim culture to both the communities
within Afghanistan and people around the world.
What is next
The
future of technology in Afghanistan is beginning to grow. Not only are people
communicating through mobile devices and laptops, but countries are beginning
to communicate to the public through the programs they air. The people of Afghanistan need to learn about how new
technology (such as cell phones and laptops) can be used to connect citizens to their community as well as to their government. While politics may continue to censor
and limit the ability of the Afghan people, I have a feeling that current media
and evolving technology will lead to an increase in the efficiency and
independence of individuals in Afghanistan.
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