They are Us: The 5th Element

Increased influence heralds the emergence of a 5th estate. It is the unique collection of ingredients that separates it from the 4 other spheres of power: World Wide Web medium; social media; real-time accessible global within group and external interaction; net neutrality; and the 5th element–one distinguishing it from other attempts to define this group–distinctly unique voices. Referred to as “that mustard seed” contribution by each member in my previous post, this 5th element is seminal to the developing role as an additional player in self-governance and its evolved form today. The analogy refers to the ability and potential of the tiny seed growing to a large size no matter where it lands even if the results were not the intent. Once grown, its branches make well-hidden perches for many different birds.

A strong argument for the natural progression of an evolving 4th estate can be made since the invention of the printing press enabled its emergence as watchdog of the state. The ability to share secure information enabled each group to assert power, however, and increased literacy with access to information allows each to exist and grow; therefore the ability to communicate efficiently in written form enables one to belong to an estate, but does not distinguish a separate division. Further, the web enables the illiterate to engage by readily transmitting  audio and video messages. Social media sites like YouTube and Facebook cooperate to connect people and ideas that can be easily recorded, uploaded and available worldwide in minutes.

Social media empowers the 5th estate and allows the individual viewpoint to be heard interactively. However, again it is not unique to this group as other power groups become aware of its capabilities. These groups are not well-suited to influence members of other estates via social media interaction as the uniform message like that presented in the preceding link serve as a bread crumb trail to groupthink assertions. Further, the idea of live, interactive media is not new. Global social media is as old as the telephone and international dialing and the access to mass audiences through radio remains popular. Still, a telephone call is limited in its scope and a radio broadcast by time and the bias and censorship of the broadcaster.

Independent thoughts and ideas remain the key designator as they create the sum of mass conscience and wisdom. As tiny as a mustard seed might be or insignificant as a thought may appear, when collected among a group unaffiliated except for the access to the Internet and desire to be heard, it can evolve into something unintended, but ultimately reflective of the collective will of many. This mass assertion carries weight among those in a position to give action to those words, and unlike its counterparts, the feedback is both immediate and gradual as ideas are honed by little mustard seeds from the crowd until they grow to seed new ideas.