Socialganda = Social Media + Propaganda. Socialganda.

Almost a century ago, Sigmund Freud’s nephew Edward Bernays pretty much fathered what we came to know as Propaganda.

Bernays understood the susceptibility of crowds to manipulation – thus the benefits of being Freud’s nephew. Bernays also understood the properties and possibilities of the technological conditions of his time. As a consequence of both understandings, he was able to fashion powerful ways of forging consent, changing behaviors and maintaining and growing the powers of new or status quo interests.

I wonder if someone – or a group of people – can build new theories and practices which exploit both the latest understanding of human psychology and the technological conditions of this century.

If they can, then they will.

You may not think so – especially if you’re a big fan of Social Media, and you believe that these evolving media are inherently democratizing.

Either way, I encourage you to watch this clip and think about how a 21st Century Bernays would use Twitter, Facebook, Youtube et al – for good or ill (if you’re short on time, go to 2:43 minutes):

My sense: Socialganda is achievable. Social and other digital media and technologies make it both easy and hard – easy because the tools are proliferative and easy-to-use; hard because they require constant attention and investment and creativity.

Given enough resources and willpower and diligence, Socialganda will become a powerful new mode of ensuring that special interests proliferate and maintain their hold.

It’s not all bad: you can develop your own Socialganda skills. In fact, I highly recommend that you do – program or be programmed as Douglas Rushkoff suggests.

I’ve just coined a new word for the 21st Century: Socialganda.

Socialganda. Get ready for it.

@PhilBaumann

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