How do you see your role as a journalist, as someone explaining to people what is happening and how it is really functioning? Many people have no idea of what digitization really means.
Ranga Yogeshwar: Yes, I think, first of all, that all of this is relatively new. Cer-tain processes are being changed "disruptively." 30 years ago, the whole idea of booking a flight with a cell phone, on the spot, would have been inconceivable. That's an example of the things that have changed, with consequences – in this case, for example, the number of travel agencies is probably dwindling.
In other words, processes are changing. It is completely normal for some peo-ple to be disquieted. Many people get confused about everything new and don't know what their own role should be. People often see new things as a threat to their own status or position.
But I think the most important thing is to recognize the opportunities. To be able to do that, we have to engage intensively with the processes and – I think this is especially important – actively work to help shape them. At the moment, all too often in Germany we're consuming technology that was invented in the U.S. and (perhaps) produced in China. When that happens, we're out of the loop as far as the underlying active processes are concerned. I want us to be involved. I want my children's generation to be more than just consumers – I want them to help shape the underlying processes.
And there are fantastic opportunities. Opportunities that don't solely have to be seen in economic terms.
I also think that there are some special possibilities and opportunities. For ex-ample, the digital revolution can create a new feeling of "we". One could de-scribe this in terms of a kitchen metaphor. 30 years ago, when friends invited you to dinner, a multi-course meal would be served. You never sat in the kitchen, usually it was the woman who slaved over the stove and everything was always "product oriented," so to speak. Today, we invite friends, we cook together, our living rooms have very open floor plans, and we all participate in one process. I think that expresses the sort of opportunity the digital world of-fers us. It is an opportunity we should be using.
