Writer Relevance

I recently read a piece from the book by Walter Benjamin "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" and there was a certain part of it that I found interesting. He talks about how the reader has become more and more confident and able to share their opinion. This is taken from the book:

 "At any moment the reader is ready to turn into a writer. As expert,

which he had to become willy-nilly in an extremely specialized work process, even if only

in some minor respect, the reader gains access to authorship."

He discusses how because of the media and press have grown significantly sharing and expressing views and opinions of the world, and how people's opinions have been encouraged to be brought forward about these issues to be presented in newspapers. Does it make an educated professional opinion less valid or as valid as someone who's opinion isn't educated? I found it difficult because I do believe in freedom of speech and feel that the availability to people to demonstrate their opinion is liberating. But, especially now and with the technological developments of the internet and social networking where people's opinions are welcomed, it can become a problem. Some people get a kind of power craze once given a facebook account and a keyboard and go crazy with their opinions usually socially but sometimes about political, religious views and so on. They join "groups" for these views trying to make them seem more unique and more interesting than others. Because its in this detached environment where you aren't discussing your views with an actual human being it can be translated and seen badly and also be unnecessary. For example, I had a friend who joined the facebook group for the British National Party. I as well as others were really quite offended by this because of everything that the BNP stood for and the fact she would join seemed out of character and shocking. On one hand she is completely entitled to her opinion as does everyone and she can choose whatever political group she wishes. On the other hand I felt like she was boasting about this and didn't consider other people's feelings and how it would affect them. I know this has gone of my original beginnings but what Walter said sparked off this memory and linked with today's society of ambushing each other with opinions that can be out of context and unconsidered. We are in an age where everyone and anyone can voice their opinions but sometimes at what cost? And do some of these people have the knowledge and understanding to be able to make these thoughts known? Do I know enough about what I am writing about to be saying its wrong? Maybe not, but when I write about something I am always considerate and careful not to preach my opinions but merely present them. Until next time...