This event is complicated beyond belief and social media is partially to blame for the widespread unrest IMO.
So basically everyone in the world is getting online slowly. I personally have been online and participating in threads and forums for over 20 years now. I know the culture. but others don’t. That includes grandma and that crazy uncle that is making very weird fake news posts on Facebook and more. It honestly what gives us all jobs here manipulating and understanding the culture. People like US, professionals, know the shallow traps of communication and more that people fall into using online media. The people don’t know. They aren’t self aware. They fall into authoritarian calls to action, fake news, virtue signalling and so many logical fallacies.
Insert information theory and decentralization. The way truth is manufactured and propagated has been conventionally through centralized institutions, Newspapers, leaders, governments and more. Now those institutions are not needed to achieve their goals. Technology has democratized the flow of information and decentralized its validation. That why we have alex jones, kahn academy, BLM, and more. Loose amalgamations of collections of ideas that are then propped up by thoughts and emotions, no matter how valid they are. (alex jones fringe conspiracy thoughts and emotions, Kahn academy with curiosity and learning, BLM with social justice and emotions) There are more examples that build on this idea but these are just what i have.
BLM is my case study. it has always been nebulous what the actual goals of BLM and more have been since its inception. The protester next to you would be marching for completely different reasons than you. Even today you have anarchists, reformers, disestablishment people and others. There is no coherent one message. Instead now the message is becoming to support these voices that are all very critical of the one uniting enemy, the police/establishment/the man. Give money. divest and more. Its so shallow and hard to believe we are at this point where after all the violence and voices the consensus is becoming we just need to give more money to activist groups? cringe.
The radicalization of the left manifest is the protests. This is fueled by the validation of the radicalized right with trump in office acting like a dictator. Both sides validated by shallow emotions from social media, all advocating for change but with no real plan how to do it. Today’s protests more and more are eerily similar to Trump’s rise to power; no real concrete goals, just give him money and there will be change absent critical thought. ughhh more cringe.
The system today is built and centralized on the ideas of institutions and the people in those structures, not the masses. The decentralization of thought makes everyone’s understanding more shallow with no leaders. The groups that represent these movements stand for more abstract universal truths instead of true policy or law(conventional centralized change vs universal cultural understanding). Then with increased radicalization on both sides of the issues and eventual clash of decentralized and centralized structures we have this civil unrest.
the civil unrest characterized by its loose structure, its universal truths, its leaderless agendas, its mixed messages, and more.
I am promoting to my clients to address their audiences appropriately.
* don’t address your post towards a group or leader – instead prop up a leader or group using your network and use one of their good messages
* stay true to universal truths proposed by the movement ie the silent oppression of black people and the failure of the state to address it, these are facts now moving forward and not for debate.
* there is no single message so don’t try to say there is one or prop up your own messaging. Your job is to amplify a marginalized group.
* Make it a personal part of the business to aid marginalized groups (this is harder to define but too many businesses are simply virtue signalling with shallow thoughts)
Not adhering to these guidelines you risk pandering, tokenization and marginalizing people, groups holding your brand hostage, and shame and cancelling. This is social media’s time for the social justice reckoning! Its very exciting to be in the space even if money isn’t being spent right now! Embrace it and participate in the conversation! This is the greatest time to learn about your community and to self reflect on the power of social media!