In “The Personalization of Politics: Political Identity, Social Media, and Changing Patterns of Participation,” W. Lance Bennett proposes a framework for understanding the large-scale collective action that, typically, is coordinated through social media. He argues that the fragmentation of our society has given way to an era of personalized politics where identity issues and social movements are the driving forces behind causes such as economic justice, environmental protection, and workers’ rights.

Bennett argues that the Arab Spring in the Middle East, as well as various uprisings in the West, illuminated social frustrations surrounding the failings of the neoliberal economic regime that became politically dominant as a result of the rise of the cultural American empire. And that the protests encouraged media coverage of these issues.

While I agree that politics has become highly personalized and that “identity politics” offers a real alternative to the way that politics has been traditionally organized, I don’t think that this is a welcome change. It is critically important that we emphasize the intellectual autonomy of individuals and that we encourage citizens to form their own political opinions outside of the echo chambers where people tend to converse online. Providing more civic education and opportunities for public participation in local politics would help steer those most vulnerable from becoming swept up in the overwhelming collective action of social media-generated political machines.