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Does the Internet Spur Social Change, Or Lazy Activism? (usc.edu)
An anonymous reader writes: If you participate in social media, you've probably noticed the flood of posts that happen any time a social issue becomes prominent in the news. Whether it's sharing a supportive picture, changing their profile, or signing a petition, users flock to these causes. But are they really doing anything useful? An article from USC Dornsife debates whether this form of "lazy activism" is actually effective in pushing social change. It's been long established that people are surrounded by a "filter bubble" online, where they're only exposed to viewpoints they already agree with. There's also the question of whether liking something on Facebook makes you less likely to contribute to a cause in more substantive ways.
On the other hand, this type of internet activism does do what social networks are designed for: building a community. Strangers with the same views can more easily organize into groups, and groups of a certain size are heard by lawmakers, regardless of their origin. Plus, engaging in small, low-risk activism does make people more likely to engage in further activism with more impact. The real question we need to answer is whether the smaller and more ephemeral groups are doing more good than harm. For now, it's clear that protesting face-to-face is far more effective than gathering in a chat room — but at the same time, hacktivism is growing in popularity as well. It may eventually have a similar effect to sit-ins and picket lines as our culture moves more and more online.
On the other hand, this type of internet activism does do what social networks are designed for: building a community. Strangers with the same views can more easily organize into groups, and groups of a certain size are heard by lawmakers, regardless of their origin. Plus, engaging in small, low-risk activism does make people more likely to engage in further activism with more impact. The real question we need to answer is whether the smaller and more ephemeral groups are doing more good than harm. For now, it's clear that protesting face-to-face is far more effective than gathering in a chat room — but at the same time, hacktivism is growing in popularity as well. It may eventually have a similar effect to sit-ins and picket lines as our culture moves more and more online.
A big social issue in America today is abusive policing, with an anti-black bias
A bigger social issue is lying cucks like you, determined to frame the issue as 'police brutality against the poor innocent blacks' and damn the facts because "facts are racist".
Police brutality is legendary in the US but there's an easy way to avoid being shot by a cop: don't behave like a violent prick. Amazingly, this seems to work pretty well - but don't let that get in the way of your crocodile-tear narrative about the poor, oppressed and utterly innocent blacks.
You disingenuous arseholes make me sick but it's YOU who must live in the aftermath so with any luck you'll get your just deserts - or maybe it'll be your daughter at the hands of the 'pure, innocent, church-going' rape-apes that you feel are so deserving of our sympathy.
..Mullah or Pope, Preacher or Poet, who was it wrote: "Give any one species too much rope and they'll fuck it up"?