Post #3: Does Social Media Lead to Degradation of Social Movements’ Member Base?

Occupy Movement Poster, 'Occupy, Year Two'
Can be found at: http://www.nicholasmirzoeff.com/O2012/2012/08/

     Social media has allowed for the onset and quick spreading of many social movements such as the Arab Spring and Occupy Movements, all over the world. Both  of these uprisings became well-known through the internet, and social media has been a aid in organizing protests, as well as for sharing tips and experiences for planning better and more effective demonstrations. Social media also allowed for a stronger support group, connecting protesters internationally. A prime example would be in Julia Skinner’s article, ‘Social Media and Revolution’, where she mentions the protests taking place in Egypt in support of Occupy Oakland, after their campsite had been broken up by police.

     Skinner describes the social movement/social media phenomenon by looking at several different paradigms, and a few of these paradigms have helped me understand my own thoughts and feelings about the way social media has perhaps influenced movements like these in a negative way.

     

     The first mentioned is the physical paradigm, by which information is seen as a physical object, recorded in text, video, sound, etc. This view promotes research into the spread of information, and how it has perhaps been helped, or hindered by, social media and the internet search engines used to navigate through them.The cognitive paradigm, on the other hand, is fairly critical of the physical paradigm, taking the view that information is simply information and meaning brought to it is situational; the focus lies in how individuals appraise this information. The cognitive paradigm is very general, and is useful in understanding trends because it examines factors that may contribute to determining what is ‘trendy’.

     After reading this second paradigm, I started thinking of how my own experiences have proved that meaning of a social movement really does depend on experiences. One example I thought of yesterday. I was in class preparing to present on the PETA movement with a fellow classmate, and I noticed a box that said some of my Facebook friends ‘liked’ PETA (and so did one million other Facebook users), so I should, too. To me, this is ridiculous. First of all, two of the ‘friends’ who liked it I know are huge carnivores! Secondly, I know one of them from middle school, and I know for a fact that she doesn’t know much about where her food comes from or whether it is humanely raised. (One time, I was eating organic raisins and she asked me if organic = low fat… HAH! ) Anyway, these are two main platforms of the PETA movement, veganism, and humane treatment of animals.  So, why does this girl ‘like’ their page? It tends to make me think that perhaps the movement has merely become a fad in which people say they support an extreme cause they know little about, just to look well-rounded.

     Thus comes my point that the cognitive paradigm really is an important angle to look at these phenomenons. While I appreciate the informational aspect of it all, I think that taking these social movements online really changes their meaning for others, and possibly detracts from a strong member-base. What I mean by strong is, people who will actually do the dirty work, i.e. participate in protests, canvas, the whole nine yards.

     A third perspective Skinner mentions is social informatics, which I think really could help comfort my thoughts about social movements losing a serious member base. Hashtags and other such social media devices set information for movements like this up in easy  to find categories, and people who follow the online pages of movements can easily get the most up-to-date news by simply clicking on a link. While it bothers me that some people may say they support a cause just for show, the fact that social networks make news updates and background information so easily available to users allows for those who may not be so well-versed to easily read up on it. And who knows, that extra background may just be enough to turn the fair-weather supporters of a social movement into real, street level activists sitting in the camps of the next Occupy Wallstreet – type event.