'Share your story-Tweet your favorite-Tell us why-Take a moment-Are you Social?' culture comes back full circle. A great hoax!
One answer that has come to dominate all others is that the future of
activism is online. Dazzled by the promise of reaching a million people
with a single click, social change has been turned over to a
technocracy of programmers and “social media experts” who build glitzy,
expensive websites and viral campaigns that amass millions of email
addresses. Treating email addresses as equivalent to members, these
organizations boast of their large size and downplay their small impact.
It is all about quantity. To continue growing, they begin consulting
with marketers who assure them that “best practices” dictate crafting a
message that will appeal to the greatest number of people. Thus focus
groups, A/B testing and membership surveys replace a strong philosophy,
vision for radical change, and cadre of diehard supporters...
...Soon, the “click to sign” deception is rolled out and simply opening an
email link is treated as signing a petition. And yet, while their
membership list grows larger, the active portion of their base
disappears. And what is worse, as well-meaning digital activists soon
discover, they are being outdone by disingenuous advertising campaigns
posing as true agents of change. [Rejecting Clicktivism, Micah White]
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