Arif’s article raises the idea thaat the internet improves political engagement, but it would be well to consider that while it might appear as though people are more actively involved, they might actually be doing less that really results in change than they were before. Back in the day if people were unhappy with what was occurring politically, they might write a song about it. Back when music was more difficult to come by, this could be a successful way of making your feelings known. When UB40 released ‘One in Ten’, a reference to the unemployment rate in the West Midlands at the time, it reached number 7 in the UK charts. When the Specials released ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ it got to number 9. In addition to writing polically charged music, Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra ran for mayor of San Francisco. While none of these artists were really able to achieve the changes they would have liked to with their work, they were able to bring people together and make their voices heard. Nowadays it’s enough just to tweet about an issue. Social media is full of posts showing people going to marches and holding signs with sayings like ‘this is what a feminist looks like’, possibly at first glance appearing engaged and like they’re really trying to do something for a cause they’re passionate about. However, too often the tweets are where this kind of political engagement ends.
