This month, Steve Jobs introduced the Iphone. It is a phone that plays music, connects to the 
internet, text messages, and even plays movies. His invention met high acclaim as well as 
harsh criticism. Proponents believe it is brilliant, while skeptics believe that it is 
ridiculous and  “too much.” This is the modern battle over the increasingly digital world. 
Is the world becoming more connected or more distant? Is the digital revolution stifling or 
fostering creativity? And most importantly, is the world headed for digital utopia or 
dystopia?  We are in the midst of a digital revolution. Every day, our world becomes more 
wireless, more advanced, and more connected. Some claim that the digital revolution will 
create a digital dystopia, and that we coming dangerously close to A Brave New World. Without 
restrictions and protective measures, the digital revolution could be disastrous. But its 
potential for greatness outweighs the risks. With mass methods of communication, innovative
 mediums of expression, and vast amounts of information at the public’s fingertips, our world 
is on it's way to digital utopia.
	A Google search on the Iraq war provides 66 million websites. The online encyclopedia 
Wikipedia has over 2 million articles on various subjects, a trip to CNN.com will provide 
the latest world news developments, and typing in GlobalAidsAlliance.com will lead a person 
to an educational charitable site. It seems that the internet is the new, faster, and more 
convenient library. People can use it for research and projects, to inform themselves about 
politics and social issues, and to learn about almost any subject imaginable.  With this vast
 amount of information available to the public, our public is more educated and informed. 
Although discretion must be used when deciphering whether information is trustworthy, 
the internet is an amazing educational tool.   

  Famous artist Andy Warhol once said, "Art is what you can get away with." His words 
embody the new ageof artists coming up in the digital era. Sites like YouTube and MySpace 
have exploded and become popculture phenomenon's. These sites provide a place for
anyone who believes that they are an artist to share their work with a worldwide community. 
As skeptics will recognize, there are many bad videos and equally bad bands to be found on 
the sites. But although there are many wannabee artists to be laughed at, living inthe 
digital era has led us to great artists that would have otherwise been left undiscovered. 
The social networking website Myspace is giving upcoming recording artists the opportunity 
to be heard. With over 600,000 bands on the site, it provides a place todevelop a fan base, 
share music, and be discovered byrecord labels. The service is free, which eliminatesmany of 
the monetary boundaries keeping talentedartists from succeeding.
	Acclaimed band Dashboard Confessional owes much ofit's success to myspace. Lead singer Chris
 Carrabbasays of myspace, “We’ve become a fairly popular band, especiallyamong Web-savvy kids.
 I do believe that’s what made us. But there are plenty of people that haven’t heard of us, 
or heard us yet.”  MySpace  is a revolutionary way for bands and artists to promote 
themselves, and for artists and their fans to communicate. Record labels come to
 the site to find young talent. What myspace has been to music, Youtube has been to film
students and potential directors. These sites provide unrivaled publicity for young artists 
and an area where they can share there work with a worldwide audience. 

      The digital world provides the public with means of communication that were previously 
unimaginable. People have the ability to speak with others from across the world, find 
others with common interests, and share ideas. The world is becoming connected on a more 
sophisticated level, providing us with a better understanding of different types of people 
and different cultures.      

      Educationally, it is revolutionizing the way in which teachers communicate with 
their students. With new class based websites, teachers can now reach studentsat home. 
Typically posted on the sites are daily assignments, worksheets, and enrichment work.  If a 
student misses an assignment or a day in class, he can download the documents on his computer
 and keep up. This tool enables all students to be able to know exactly what the work is and 
what is expected of them. UCLA  student Zachary Morris says about educational materials 
online, " They have saved me. I am a forgetful person and the class site never fails to let 
me know about assignments."

      In an increasingly digital world in which email, text messaging, and blogging conquer 
communication methods, critics fear that the world will steadily becomeimpersonal and robotic. They are mistaken. 
Although weuse digital methods to contact people, we are able to communicate
 with more people than ever before. The internet not only enables the communication for professional  
and online relationships, but also helps family and friends who live far from each other stay in contact.
High school Senior Andrew Smith says, " I use the internet to email my relatives oversees. The potentially high  
phone bill and differing time zones make communication by phone impossible. The internet enables me to talk to them
when I otherwise wouldn't be able to." Through emails, AIMS, and blog sites such as Facebook, people can speak 
with family and friends that they normally couldn't.      

     Former President Thomas Jefferson said,” Every generation needs a new revolution.” The digital revolution is ours. 
Like with all revolutions, there will be powerful changes, and with those changes comes a price. We risk potentially 
unsafe online activity, the partial degradation of art, and the possibility of an impersonal and solely digital world.  
But despite the few risks, the digital revolution has an unquestionable potential for greatness. It can foster the 
development of artists, create a more educated public, and further connect our world.  There will be issues to deal with, 
but has the road to the potentially profound ever been without it's difficulties? If we can find ways to  promote 
safe internet usage, keep in tact the value of art, and insure that we continue to stay personal, digital
utopia will be a reality.