Trumpocalypse … or ‘You got mail’
I don’t have a unique point in this blogpost. Everything I say here is common ground… at least amongst or within … a certain filter bubble … But I’d like to restate it here to push this analysis.
2005 Clay Shirky reminded us that the invention of the printing press destabilized existing power structures throwing Europe into very bloody wars for 200 years (!) till we finally had figured out the new structure: the nation-state. And he said, it would take us 50 to figure out the new order of the internet. Well …
Almost all ‚old‘ media (newspapers, television, radio) worked hard against Trump. But he won anyway. I think Fefe is onto something when he says: This is a clear signal that they are now less powerful than social media. And the result we see is: Trump is president.
What was on my mind the whole day is what to make of social media then? What can we – as intellectuals – do?
The printing press brought in our culture the ‚hidden structure‘ of the democratic nation-state to the surface. What ‚hidden structure‘ will social media bring up? Trump is definitely a clear signal that existing power structures (yes,including things like ‚facts are stronger than everything else‘!) are erupted hard! That scares me. No wonder, given what happened last time – with the printing press :-/
So I wonder, what can we do with social media?
Update: I think I’d like to add that (1) Trumps ‚I will except the outcome of the election – If I Win!‘ ( = undemocratic view – now he is president) + (2) the whole NSA surveillance complex … well this are two signs, that it does not seem very likely that democracy will play a huge role in the coming/evolving structure …
Update 2: I posted this first on Facebook and got a variety of comments – most of them interesting. I’d like to quote my favorite one from Samuel Joseph:
“Like you said Lars, is signals a shift from corporate media dictating opinion and that a populist leader can emerge. Sadly not the person that country or the world needs. But I think it can galvanize people to start thinking about how outdated this system of politics is. So of if social media offers one thing, it is the ability to organize efficiently. However, it is also loaded with endless distraction and in itself doesn’t really amount to much without active building in real communities.”
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Credits:
I am not sure, if he invented it, but just in case, the term ‘trumpocalypse’ i have from Sam Muirhead:
If you just want to click one link in this post after reading it make it this one:
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