Marketability and social implications of interactive TV and the information superhighway

Despite the media hype, it is not yet known if the new digital technologies of multimedia, interactive television, and the information superhighway will ever be accepted by the mainstream marketplace. If the information superhighway and interactive television are accepted, both benefits and dangers are inherent within the system. Depending upon who finances and controls the network and its contents, the system could be one of increased democracy and activism or one of government regulation or commercial self-interest and exploitation. The system could be one of active communicators or one of passive consumers. The information superhighway could unify the nation and eventually the world, or stratify people into the information rich versus the information poor. It is crucial for all people to learn about and understand the technology and understand how it could affect their lives