Has the internet benefited democracy?

In this episode, I ask the question: has the internet benefited democracy? To try and answer this, I look at the political philosophical idea of the "public sphere," a term coined by German Philosopher Habermas. This "public sphere," according to Habermas, is an essential entity for a democracy, as it serves as the intermediatary between the people and the state. Without it, the people are unable to generate a genuine public opinion to guide the government. I look at two sides of the original question through the lens of this public sphere, one for yes, and one for no. Given the past few years and the impact the internet has played in politics, it is a neccesary question to ask and answer ourselves, individually and collectively.