"But this might also be a problem. Not because the marchers aren't sincerethey are. Not because moral clarity doesn't matterit does. But because every protest that doesn't lead to organization might be worse than no protest at all. It gives the feeling of agency without the fact of it. It lets us post, share, and check the box marked I did something, while the machinery of power keeps humming, unbothered."
"This is the trap of protest in the age of the algorithm. It's not that demonstrations are performativeall politics involves performancebut the performance has become the point. The march happens, the signs get photographed, the videos go viral, and everyone goes home feeling like they participated in democracy. Meanwhile, nothing changes except your feed, which has already moved on. Trump figured this out long before this dynamic had a name. It isn't an ideologyit's a social media hack."
Large, viral protests create visibility and emotional release but often fail to translate energy into enduring political power without sustained organization. Social media amplifies spectacle, turning demonstrations into photographic moments that circulate and dissipate, providing the feeling of agency while structural power remains unchanged. Viral attention can act as a pressure valve, producing a tactical freeze that paralyzes follow-through. Historical movements that achieved lasting change built institutions and infrastructure — voter drives, long-term legal strategies, and local chapters — that sustained work between moments of high visibility. Effective change requires converting attention into organizing, institutions, and persistent tactical commitments.
Read at www.mediaite.com
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