The Toxic Communication

The web offers extraordinary opportunities for communication, disintermediation and organisation.However, this characteristic of being a “tool of opportunity” is not without risks, precisely because disintermediation precludes the means of verifying news – for better or for worse, and sometimes limiting knowledge – which was the basis of information. It should not be forgotten that this also constitutes the foundation of democracies, contributing to the formation of a conscious awareness, on the basis of which – at least in theory – forms civic awareness and therefore informed voting. The web now complements the old forms of communication, which are generally unidirectional, with an interactive channel in which, at least in theory, everyone can be a creator of content and can simultaneously interact, sharing, quoting and commenting on other people's content.This form of participation is certainly positive, like any form of disintermediation, because it brings citizens closer to elected representatives, candidates closer to voters, and traditional media closer to readers. This osmosis can generate added value, improve the quality of messages and content, and reveal worlds and microcosms that were unknown until yesterday and deserve space and representation. However, the web is not without risks.