WHAT A RUSH

 Not unlike the dopamine rush that we get from Facebook “likes” and other positive online interactions (as discussed in my IWant It Now! Blog entry,) the technologies that keep us connected to the world can also connect us to political and social activism – both good and bad – and provide equally addictive adrenaline rushes.

Take, for example, the January 6^th Capitol Insurrection, Rebecca Heilweil and Shirin Ghaffary wrote in a Jan8 Vox article:

“The kind of experience that a lot of people, especially the more extreme people, had on the 6th is not completely dissimilar to a drug,” Evans said. “They got a very powerful high from storming the Capitol and they will be looking for the next high, the ones at least who don’t wind up in custody.”

The Capitol Insurrection had been in the planning stages for months before the actual event took place, virtually undetected. However, it was years of online radicalization that led to the Capitol riot. Hordes of far-right movements have been growing and spreading on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for years. The crackdowns on disinformation campaigns and far-right groups came far too late (Ghaffary, 2021).

In contrast, 2017’s Women’s March, attended by millions worldwide, was both powerful and peaceful. Hoping to revitalize the women’s movement and send the message that women should continue the fight for social justice, these peaceful protesters took this opportunity to make their voices heard and their image as powerful as they could (National Museum of American History, n.d.).

Both history-making events were inspired by the same person, but each had a very different message and purpose. One was a peaceful display of strength and unity to speak out against the behavior and  beliefs of a misogynistic tyrant on his first full day in office (History.com, n.d.). The other was a show of violence and insurgence to overthrow and overrule validated election rules they didn’t like.

However, both DO have something in common: they came to be thanks to the increased accessibility and the advancement of various technologies that are helping to drive the current surge in global dissent. There’s been a definite increase in involvement by those motivated to defend, protect, and build a better world in the aftermath of multiple, recent, historical events (Bloch, 2019).

The technologies driving this uptick are the ones that help activists use mass communication tools more easily and more cheaply. Namely cell phones with their photo and video capabilities paired with platforms such as Facebook and the ACLU’s MobileJustice app with their live broadcast and sharing capacities. These resources have democratized who can report the news and who can watch it. The news cycle has become even faster, providing almost instantaneous opportunities for activists to mobilize. These mobilizations have been critical for catalyzing the power of the people and ensuring that all voices are heard (Bloch, 2019).

References

Bloch, N. (2019, Mar 20). How technology is shaping creative activism in the 21st century. Retrieved from Waging Nonviolence: https://wagingnonviolence.org/2019/03/how-technology-is-shaping-creative-activism-in-the-21st-century/

Ghaffary, S. a. (2021, Jan 8). How Trump’s internet built and broadcast the Capitol insurrection. Retrieved from Vox: https://www.vox.com/recode/22221285/trump-online-capitol-riot-far-right-parler-twitter-facebook

History.com. (n.d.). Women's March. Retrieved from History: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/womens-march

Kolodzy, J. (2012). Practicing Convergence Journalism. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781136222825

National Museum of American History. (n.d.). The Women's March, 2017. Retrieved from National Museum of American History: https://americanhistory.si.edu/creating-icons/women%E2%80%99s-march-2017