The public sphere is a unique "space" in which a big amount of citizens lives and interacts, and each of them is different from each other. If one considers the emergence and transformation of the public sphere, for example, from the times of Antiquity to the present day, it becomes evident that the public sphere is created and changed mainly due to interpersonal communication. In addition, the public sphere has many different issues that have a significant impact on the state and the society. These problems may be associated with the inequality, which is manifested at different levels of the social interaction, as well as many other more complex processes. Understanding the importance of the public sphere and solving problems that arise in it can expand the possibilities of a democratic state and make every member of society active.
The Definition of the Public Sphere and its Problems. The idea of the public sphere from Habermas' viewpoint is highly attractive for supporters of democracy, as "access is guaranteed to all citizens" (Habermas 49). Therefore, the established public sphere is an ideal model, which can be demonstrated by the role of information in a democratic society. Such people are attracted by the fact that reliable information, which is available to all without any conditions, is a guarantee of openness and accessibility of a democratic society. The concept of the public sphere also allows access to the facts that are able to form "the public opinion" (Habermas 50).
Moreover, Habermas states that the public sphere, or what he calls the bourgeois public sphere, appeared in the 18th century. Resulting from some important features of capitalism, which were developed in the UK (53). The most important is the fact that the class of entrepreneurs has become wealthy enough to achieve independence and get rid of the guardianship of the state and the church. The court and the church used to dominate in the public sphere. The public sphere also includes all that relates to the state – i.e. tax system, "administration, and army" (Habermas 51). If one follows the way the world community has changed, it will become evident how things have changed the public sphere. Family, for example, has lost its status of the "place" where the work and the ownership of private property are carried out, and the social ties have replaced family ones. The public sphere has gained a distinct institutional status in the form of mass media, where the critical debates based on rational arguments have become a part of the popular consumer culture used to manipulate the very public opinion. Based on this, one can assume that the major public issues have a direct relationship with the media today, due to the various social and political transformations. Since the days of the ancient Greece, the concept of the "public sphere" has obtained a slightly different hue, but nevertheless, the most important view associated with this concept is still relevant today. The public sphere is a symbol of openness and accessibility to every member of society, hence, there are all forms of discrimination based on social, gender, and racial inequalities that automatically become the public issues. Most often, the victims of public problems are people who belong to minorities; therefore, the treatment of women based on stereotypes of the past can be considered one of the most striking examples of this problem.
The Problem of the Public Sphere's Virtualization. Thus, the public issue can be considered a number of emerging conflicts and misunderstandings between individual citizens and citizens' groups. These conflicts or problems can have various causes. The problem of discrimination based on race, gender, and class issues can be regarded as one of the most common public problems. For example, a woman whose rights are restricted by other people based on sex differences may be an example of a victim of such issues. In addition, members of sexual and ethnic minorities often become the victims of public problems as well. Many still believe that women cannot perform some types of work of the so-called "male" positions. However, to date, the public issues have evolved and transformed, as the public sphere has expanded to become virtual. In other words, many public problems have gained a virtual character because of the virtualization of the public sphere. As part of the media space, the public sphere is a conditionally allocated virtual space in which the "public discourse" exists, which is the result of the "collective reflection" on the current and socially important events (Iosifidis and Wheeler 2). The public sphere is an essential condition for the existence of civil society. Civil society lacks the participation of members of society in political decision-making without a developed public sphere. No less important is the public sphere's feature to act as a medium of social integration, a form of social solidarity and an arena for discussion of possible measures of social action. It should be noted that the public sphere changes many things within the framework of the Internet. The most important change is going on in terms of the transformation of the audience; elitism is replaced by massiveness, thus, it does not exclude any of the citizens from participation in the discussion. The Internet provides to its members a number of significant advantages in terms of citizenship and participation in the discussion of topical social problems. With all the positive changes in civil discourse thanks to the Internet, a few issues cannot but cause a concern. The public sphere has acquired a virtual character, and at the same time, there appeared the new challenges that threaten the modern society. Gradually, the network space, or virtual public sphere, fills with a variety of manipulators and counterfeiters, whose task is to use leverage information to conduct information warfare against ordinary citizens. With each passing day, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine the authenticity of the information that has a detrimental effect on public opinion. Young people are the main victims of this problem, as they gradually lose the ability to think critically. In most countries, the Internet is controlled by the authorities under the pretext of the fight against illegal activities such as hacking, pornography, and preparation of terrorist acts. There are legitimate concerns that this control can eventually lead to a reduction of freedom of speech on the Internet. In the future, virtualization of society may lead to the fact that civil consolidation will not go beyond the virtual space and virtual discussion will cease to encourage civil actions in reality. This problem manifests itself today, because most of the discussions on the network give specific results in real public sphere.
Conclusions
The public sphere has many problems, most of which is connected with interpersonal communication. These problems have transformed and modified over time. To date, the public sphere has acquired virtual character thanks to the Internet, and this is a serious problem. Information has become less safe in terms of authenticity, which increases the possibility of manipulating the mass consciousness. Moreover, most of the debate on the problems that arise in society remain in the form of debate and many comments. In other words, virtualization of the public sphere involves virtualization of the urgent problems solution. Undoubtedly, the network expands opportunities for personal expression, but at the same time, the level of the solution to most problems is reduced and rarely goes beyond the network.
Works Cited
Habermas, Jürgen. "The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article (1964)." New German Critique 3 (1974): 49-55. Web.
Iosifidis, Petros, and Mark Wheeler. "The Public Sphere And Network Democracy: Social Movements And Political Change?." Global Media Journal: American Edition 13.25 (2015): 1-17. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.
