Compromising on Woke Culture
To many of his longtime fans, President Obama’s criticism of “call-out culture” and the idea of “wokeness” was confusing, if not frustrating. President Obama’s words seemed to echo the criticism of social conservatives who had long attacked “woke culture,” which was particularly surprising given that Obama is seen by many as a hero for “woke” culture activism.
Before people leap to conclusions over Obama’s words, it’s best to understand what he actually said. The former president was in no way attacking movements which are often associated with “wokeness,” such as #MeToo or Black Lives Matter. Instead he was critiquing movements online which seek to discredit or “cancel” organizations, celebrities or even ordinary people for words or actions deemed “un-progressive.”
President Obama’s criticisms are important for all of us, especially young people, to hear. The culture of “wokeness” on social media has unfortunately turned into a form of public religion that is not supported by real activism or a desire for social change. Take the recent blue profile photos that many people displayed on their Instagram accounts in an attempt to raise awareness about Sudan, or the various Instagram posts by accounts falsely claiming to provide food to people in need if they received a certain number of likes or reposts. While changing the color of one’s profile picture or posting something might feel good, those internet campaigns do little to alleviate the suffering of oppressed people.
Some might argue that the “woke” culture of the internet serves to educate people about new topics that will then inspire them to participate in real activism. That is perhaps true in some cases. But from my own personal experience I have observed how commenting and posting on social networks has become a safe and comfortable way for many people to express their political ideas without engaging in real activism. What’s more, the internet unfortunately breeds polarization, miscommunication and disinformation. When two people are communicating through a screen, often without even knowing each other, it is easy for them to dehumanize the person on the other side. The format of platforms like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook also encourage short, comment-like responses rather than well thought out or long points. Finally, it is hard to verify which sites provide “real” information instead of falsehoods.
President Obama’s other criticisms of woke culture revolved around the fact that he considers it often too “purist.” I personally do not share the president’s aversion to ideological purity—some people have very strong beliefs about issues which they think are clear-cut. and they should not renounce those beliefs for the sake of compromise. This is the case with moral and cultural issues in particular. However, he does have somewhat of a point. A whole host of political issues have been placed into the category of moral or philosophical issues and are presented as simple black and white debates. Polarizing and complex foreign and national policy issues, such as the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Syria, have been turned into simple tweet-able ideas that everyone seems to have an opinion on, including people with absolutely no knowledge of the issue.
President Obama also made the wise point that political criticisms have turned nastily personal. People often no longer assume that the intentions of their political opponents are inherently positive. Instead their opponents have turned into “bad people,” instead of decent people with bad ideas. That is a very worrisome trend in that it puts our national unity in question.
We should also point out that ideas which President Obama raised are not only applicable to “woke progressives.” In all sectors of American life, our culture has turned into a polarized mess, a nation divided by race, socio-economic status and political identity. Allegiance to certain political ideologies has replaced other markers of identity in the overall American consciousness. That outsized importance is a very worrisome trend that it could lead to the destruction of that national unity that so many generations of people sought to maintain. It’s also worrying, in that it harms debate and open conversations within our country. All of us, no matter our political orientation, should therefore listen to what President Obama has to say if we wish to reunite our divided political landscape.