Mobs and Demonstrations

~ Laura

I have long been skeptical of hashtag activism. Hashtage activism is the usage of social media to promote a cause from the safe distance and filter of anonymity. It’s lazy and ineffective. Protests and demonstrations are a vital part of democracy. They’re a way for people to participate in political decision making beyond the voting booth. Using Twitter and Facebook to make political points is a pale shadow of the real thing.

However, what’s going on in Ferguson is making me a bit nervous. There’s no organization helping to steer people’s passions safely and effectively. The violence and looting isn’t a political statement. It’s just thuggery.

Published by Laura

3 thoughts on “Mobs and Demonstrations”

  1. People always say that (“violence and looting isn’t a political statement”) about these explosions (Watts, Rodney King, Katrina, Seattle/Davos (different, ‘since it wasn’t related to race), Arab Spring (different, too), Ferguson, . . .). Dispossessed people are prone to exploding (What happens to a dream deferred? . . . . Or does it explode?).

    Order is necessary and once the dynamite is ignited, you are stuck in damage control. Unfortunately, I don’t see the change coming before the explosion, either.

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  2. I’m following things through twitter today, which I suppose is voyeur hashtag activitism. Really don’t know what to think today. Just keeping my mouth shut. I’m open to hearing different points of view.

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  3. What hashtag activism does is fill in the very large hole left by mainstream western media. If it weren’t for Twitter during the first week of Ferguson, I would only know Ferguson for its looting and rioting. The reporting, especially the first week, was extremely biased. The same goes for Gaza.

    This is huge. Social media hashtags provide checks and balances to the media, and oftentimes, the media doesn’t start reporting until they see an issue trending in social media. We can’t find meaningful ways to help others in the world if we don’t even know a problem exists, and social media activism calls attention to that problem. And for people from marginalized populations around the world, it is often the only way to disseminate information and generate media attention.

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