Katie Couric's Notebook: Obama And The Internet

In 1960, John F. Kennedy ushered in the era of the television presidency. Millions watched together as he took the oath of office, declaring "ask not what your country can do for you." The medium proved as powerful as the message.

Today, that medium is the Internet. The number of Americans who get their political news primarily from the Web tripled since the 2004 election.

Barack Obama successfully captured young voters by finding them where they hang out online. The Obama campaign used Facebook, YouTube, and even text messaging to seal the deal.

The election is over, but the new administration has sent signals it intends to stay wired.

If Obama could motivate young people to step away from the keyboards and vote, maybe he could ask them to volunteer, or tutor, or recycle.

All that modern technology could be used to revive a very old-fashioned value, civic responsibility. As John F. Kennedy said, "what you can do for your country."

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