The roots of the Internet can be traced back to 1962 (“History of the Internet” n.d.). With the Internet, people have the ability to search for large amounts of information and have the ability to participate and start conversations in many forums. The Internet allows people from different cities and countries and with different backgrounds to connect and communicate in a digital world. Instead of sitting in a room with a wired connection, people can now travel on the move thanks to the Internet. Laptops and smartphones allow the Internet to fit into backpacks and pockets. The question remains: does the Internet threaten democracy or help it? With information also comes misinformation, and the answer is not simply yes or no. However, in most cases, the Internet helps democracy by creating a citizen who is more aware of a number of issues. Counterclaims argue that the Internet is an agency serving the collapse of democracy (Jacobs, n.d.), contains enormous amounts of misinformation, and has the ability to rapidly spread misinformation (“Does the Internet Help or Hurt Democracy?”, 2010). Regardless of the amount of information available online, the claims go that the quality of the information cannot be trusted. Arguments have gone so far as to argue that misinformation, propaganda, and conspiracy theories are being introduced into classrooms (Bartlett & Miller, 2011). Forty-seven percent of teachers surveyed reported experiencing disputes with schoolwork and lessons containing inaccurate information from the Internet (Bartlett & Miller, 2011). 48% of teachers surveyed said they had had class discussions about conspiracy theories (Bartlett & Miller, 2011). Regarding the quality of information available on the Internet, is it unfair ... middle of paper ... ...tive-timelineDoes the Internet help or harm democracy? [Video files]. (2010, June 1). Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media-jan-june10-miller_06-01/ Internet History. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2014, from http://www.computerhistory.org/internet_history/ Jacobs, J. (n.d.). Democracy and the Internet. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from http://www.abc.net.au/ola/citizen/interdemoc/democ.htm Saletan, W. (2011, July 18). It's Spring Time for Twitter: Is the Internet Driving the Arab Spring Revolutions? Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2011/07/springtime_for_ twitter.htmlWright, R. (n.d.). This Chamber believes that the Internet brings more harm than good. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.youthforum.idebate.org/debatabase/debates/science-technology/house-believes-internet-brings-more-harm- Well