Helen Lee Schifter is someone who has been vocal about the need for citizens to band together when it comes to expressing passion about their pet issue that they would like to see changes instituted about. For instance, she has written about the trend of demonstrating not only publicly on the streets, but also virtually, while maintaining a fostering a camaraderie online – in terms of a presence. In today’s day and age you can galvanize people and generate enthusiasm and excitement not necessarily being in-person. Smart and prudent political activists looking to get their message out to the largest-sized audience possible, are conscious and cognizant of that.
For some this has changed the paradigm of what it means to lobby and enact transformative political change. It really depends on one’s passions and the particular issue they are seeking to redefine and promote in order to determine the most effective medium to use. But if someone is looking to generate exposure of a certain issue, they may in fact be better served by highlighting that issue in a virtual setting as opposed to an in-person setting. This is especially true during the time of this Coronavirus pandemic, when media coverage is being saturated and surgically focused upon coverage of the pandemic. So how does one go about galvanizing members of the public even in light of this?
Helen Lee Schifter has theorized that the ways activists can go about doing that is by communicating incentives to them that motivate them, wherever they may exist. The beauty and the distinguishing characteristic of holding virtual rallies and demonstrations, are that there are no confines. There are no limitations on crowd size; no limitations in a Coronavirus era of the need to maintain social distancing; and perhaps most importantly, there’s the ability to totally control the message.
Digital and virtual messaging can be done vis a vis digital and social media platforms. The trend might begin with the creation of valuable content within the context of blogging. It can then incorporate the usage of social and digital media tools in order to push and advance that content out to the general public. Facebook and Twitter for example, can be used as effective mechanisms that can be employed to amplify one’s voice and to ensure that the largest following possible is on the receiving end of whatever the message might be.
The changes in the way activists are recalibrating in terms of engaging with one another in the age of the Coronavirus are drastic and dramatic. But the changes can also serve a constructive purpose in the ways that it can lead to communicating one’s desired message to the biggest audience possible. Whenever you are engaging in a protest or rally in a physical and in-person context, you are always going to be minimized and limited based on the parameters of marinating a physical and in-person presence.
In the virtual world of the internet, that does not need to be a concern; in fact it’s a prospective concern that can be limited entirely. So there has been an up-tick in large gatherings of activists promoting their own various issues they hold near and dear to their hearts, in a virtual fashion. This has been a great source of inspiration for other activists who have been beleaguered by the Coronavirus pandemic; and therefore unable to effectively channel the enthusiasm that members of the public might have about their personal issue, into sizable audiences of growth, enthusiasm and excitement.
Helen Lee Schifter is an activist concerning an array of different issues, including promoting health and wellness to the masses. In Schifter’s judgement, there has been a severe marginalization over time concerning the significance of health and wellness and the roles they should play in a person’s life. In favor of monetary or professional interests, many have neglected the value of promoting and leading a healthy lifestyle. They’ve done so in many cases, at the expense of their own physical, emotional and mental health. As she has pointed out, this has been done in a way that can in some cases have truly devastating consequences. There needs to be a paradigm shift in this country about the subject of health and wellness, and its importance. There needs to be more attention paid and dedicated to this issue. As we see more and more young people victimized by the obesity pandemic, there needs to be a movement of more and more vocal proponents and advocates of promoting a healthy lifestyle with a focus on health and wellness.