Changing the World One Status Update at a Time
Satellite of Love
Monday, April 19th, 2010
Though we’re told to put aside romanticism and embrace the future, I can’t help but feel that there are some things, protests, for example, that still need to happen in the real world—that the Internet just can’t replace. Despite the fact that the Library of Congress has deemed them worthy of archiving, no tweet will ever be as inspiring as the "I Have a Dream" speech.
Political statements, unlike other self-categorizations, are at least as much for the sake of people who disagree as they are for those of like mind. They are partly to build community, but largely to show displeasure to those in power. That’s the point behind marching in the streets, carrying signs and chanting: to further your cause by making it impossible to ignore; making a scene that those in power can’t not see.
Can the momentum and energy of marches and rallies be recreated online? Can an in-your-face political movement happen if everyone involved is at home in front of a computer the whole time?
Granted, the Internet makes spreading the word to people who already agree exponentially easier. It’s an undisputed revolution in community-building, but what if the purpose of the community in question is not just to connect with people who agree with you, but to be seen by those who don’t? A march in the street intrudes into the daily lives of people who might otherwise be completely unfamiliar with the cause, whereas people generally only read their friends' Facebook statuses. And if, in doing so, they do happen upon an unfamiliar idea, it's much easier to ignore. It will be right next to drunk pictures from last night and flip updates about homework and boyfriends.
Posting a link may be much easier than standing on a street corner and handing out pamphlets, but that's exactly the problem. Protests feed on the passion that it takes to get that many people out of their homes and into the streets. The willingness to take the extra step and spend a day in the freezing cold or the hot sun shows the commitment that is needed to effect any kind of change.More by this Author
Featured Articles
