"Charlie Warzel opens with what it means to live in 2026, when our phones can drop us into graphic, real-time violence without warning-and when documenting that violence can be both traumatizing and politically consequential. Using recent footage out of Minneapolis as a lens, he explores the uneasy collision of algorithmic feeds, misinformation, and the moral weight of witnessing. Charlie also traces how viral documentation can puncture official narratives, pushing stories beyond political circles and even into "apolitical" corners of the internet."
"They discuss how to be a good citizen in the information war without losing your mind. Specifically: In an age of algorithmic fragmentation and billionaire-owned platforms, does sharing that devastating image or news article actually accomplish anything? Or is it just performative activism? Together they explore how nonpolitical creators and everyday people can be especially persuasive messengers, and how to pair online engagement with offline activism."
Phones can suddenly drop viewers into graphic, real-time violence, making witnessing both traumatizing and politically consequential. Recent footage from Minneapolis illustrates how algorithmic feeds and misinformation collide with the moral weight of witnessing. Viral documentation can puncture official narratives, pushing stories beyond political circles into apolitical corners of the internet. In an age of algorithmic fragmentation and billionaire-owned platforms, sharing devastating images raises questions about efficacy versus performative activism. Nonpolitical creators and everyday people can act as especially persuasive messengers. Pairing online engagement with offline activism amplifies impact while protecting mental health and sustaining civic action.
Read at The Atlantic
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