The Risks of Democracy in the Public Sphere in the Digital Age—A Perspective on Habermas's Theory of Negotiated Democracy

The public sphere plays an important role in modern democracy as a field of deliberation and opinion that discusses public issues, participates in social activities, and shapes public opinion. However, under the impact of new technologies in the digital age, the public sphere has been forced to undergo transformation. This impact is manifested in the absence of gatekeepers of the public sphere and the penetration of consumerism. On this basis, democratic risks have arisen, and the democratic value risk brought by liberalism and the democratic process risk caused by platform capitalism have affected the democratization process of many developing countries, and Habermas's theory of negotiated democracy obviously has limitations in the face of such democratic risks. The prevention of democratic risks and the maintenance of the public sphere require not only spontaneous maintenance by members of society, but also strong guidance by the State.