The Internet Is the Hope for Humanity

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Angela Nagel: The internet is for me the hope for humanity. In 2007, when Rowling released the final installment in the Harry Potter series, this was a time when internet usage around the world was exploding. Nagel says that it seemed like some of those optimistic dreams of what the internet could usher in were coming true.

The early days of the internet collide with the feverish fandom of “Harry Potter,” and a sprawling, global community emerges. But the hopefulness of this new technology brings with it the darker impulses of human nature.

Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.

This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.