What is one of the defining characteristics of modern ear

One of the defining characteristic of modern era was the' spread on enlighten ideas slowed the spread of democracy worldwide'.  

Explanation:

The modern era is a 'period of world history' which extends from 1500-1950. Some of the dominant characteristic of modern era are enlightenment,  broadcast media, industrialization, pollution, great divergence, colonialism, communism, atomic age, modernism, automobiles, consumerism, competition, monopolies, etc.Enlighten was an 'explosion of popular ideas' occurred in the '18th century' which might define the 'modern age'. These served to undermine the existing order with ideas of liberty, skeptism, materialism, toleration, progress, rationalism, constitutional government, fraternity, and separation of state and church.