In todays democracies why is representative democracy practiced, rather than direct democracy?

Direct democracy is a system of governance that started in ancient Athens, around 508 BCE. In it, all eligible citizens vote on decisions for the government rather than relying on representatives. A representative democracy, by contrast, is one in which voters select representatives who vote on their behalf.

Representative democracy is considered the superior form of democracy because it is better suited to dealing with a large electorate.