Is this the real world or just cyberspace?

The article I choose was: How an Issue in Cyberspace Shifts to the Real World: Three-Stage Cyber-Issue Diffusion (CID) Model. Shin, Hochang. Conference Papers -- International Communication Association, 2005 Annual Meeting, New York, NY, p1-25.
This article is about a study conducted to show the characteristics of communication in cyberspace with the focus how an issue is formed, diffused, and amplified to the extent that is arouses collective action in the off-line world.
The study was to show that issues brought up in the offline world were fueled by mass media that set the tone of the issues that are influential or important to that society and collective action is taken on most of issues. In the online world Internet users bring up the issues in cyberspace and only a handful are amplified into real action. The article asks the question if it is possible that if cyberspace has a life cycle like one in the off line world.
The Three-Stage Cyber-Issue Diffusion (CID) Model was then created. The three stages are issue forming, diffusion, and action. In the forming stage, an issue is raised by an individual. The issues is not limited to anyone or anything. Diffusion, the issue is diffused to websites or freeboards, and then amplified by other mass media websites. Off line begins to take on the issue now for further amplification. To the mass media, the issue is taken as not important issues and may fade away. Action, issue is amplified that it facilitates real collective action in the off-line world. The issue is amplified because of active involvement and increased interaction between cyber-media and mass media. Therefore, to make the long story short, off-line mass media like the news or a newspaper are the most influential media type that affects the issue throughout the overall issue cycle.
My thoughts: The internet has a wealth of information.. But with the news being broadcast and the newspaper in front of you, it would be more difficult to tune those out. On the computer, just press close and you are done with it.
Janice