Marx & Social Media
For some crazy reason, I’ve set out on a mission to reread the most important books from a class I took in college called Contemporary Civilization (political and economic philosophy). I wrapped up Marx’s The Communist Manifesto last night. It was shorter than I remember.
At the most basic level, Marx sets out to extol the virtues of a classless society. Communism is often confused with socialism (rule by the working class), but both schools of thought are rather Utopian.
It’s interesting to look at Marx’s take on communism in relation to social media. Social media, in its purest form, is a purely classless society. Everyone enters with the same credentials, capabilities, and choices. In essence, it’s an open playing field where the only way to sustain community is to work together (i.e. share information).
Alas, this does not last forever. People segregate themselves into affinities. They befriend and follow people with similar interests or those they admire. Within these verticals, some members are more established and popular than others. There’s a definitive hierarchy that has grown out of a platform intended to be classless.
Look at Twitter. Celebrities of all kinds have more followers and more clout than the average user. Tumblr has even cultivated its own breed of “Tumblr Celebrities.” On Facebook if you exceed a certain number of friends your profile becomes a fan page. Maintaining a classless community in social media is impossible. Inevitably, a bourgeoisie equivalent will emerge.
This is not a bad thing. I’d argue that it’s a good thing. Social media platforms are egalitarian in that they offer everyone the same foundation, but people can make conscious and independent decisions as to how they use it. Fortunately, people have developed vibrant ecosystems around their interests, propagating activity and growth.
Social media has Marx turning in his grave, but it’s also inspiring people to learn, engage, and aspire.
