Social Media As A Revolutionary Tool

Why am I on social media? The question rather is: why was I not on social media?
In the past I subscribed to some neo-luddite, primitivist, "anarchist" strains of thinking that criticized technology, media, and especially the internet, but also political movements in general and the anarchist milieu itself.
The thought was something like this: anarchists and leftists write a lot of manifestos, position papers, essays, release them in magazines or, more often, on the net, and they think, "that's it!", that's already the revolution. But it's just a *symbolic* act. It won't change anything. If you really want to change the world, you need to go out into the *real world*, do some tangible action, organize a strike, set up an anarchist cell with other people, and so on. Now, I have nothing against strikes or "direct action". But the truth is that *symbolic action* works; that technology and media can be used for revolutionary aims.
Writing about anarchism on the internet and on social media will change the world. Because it will make people think, become aware of anarchism, reflect on authority and injustice, and so on; and these new thoughts will move their everyday life experience; eventually change their own behavior and attitude and concepts, thus it flows into the real, "tangible" world, and if enough people are part of this change, the world will change with them.
The word, language is more powerful than any "tangible" form of action. If you spread revolutionary words, you spread the revolution.
Thus the internet, social media is a wonderful, wonderful tool for the revolutionary struggle. Spread ideas, text, symbols on the various forms of media - and you will change the world.

No comments:

Post a Comment