Re: <nettime> Social Media and the UK Riots: “Twitter Mobs”, “Facebook Mobs”, “Blackberry Mobs” and the Structural Violence of Neoliberalism

[almost@riseup.net]

Nice analysis. It's clearly important to point out the ridiculousness
of blaming social media for looting, and social deprivation must
have an important impact. But there's a gaping hole in the story
of neoliberalism, etc, etc. Why did not everyone decide to break
into JD Sports and steal a pair of Nikes? Or into Currys and steal a
TV? Why did not everyone decide to vandalize the local corner shop?
Why was so much of the rage local and self-destructive? It doesn't
take a professor in media and communication studies to observe a
correlation between deprivation and violence. The obvious observation
of correlation is where the causal analysis ought to begin, otherwise
academics are as superfluous to understanding and improving society as
are the soundbite-obsessed politicians. --A


On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 4:07 PM, Christian Fuchs <christian.fuchs@uti.at>wrote:

> Social Media and the UK Riots: ?Twitter Mobs?, ?Facebook Mobs?, ?Blackberry
> Mobs? and the Structural Violence of Neoliberalism
> A blog post comment on the role of social media in the UK riots by
> Christian Fuchs




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