Protests have long been celebrated as a vital expression of collective resistance, from the civil rights marches of the 1960s to the anti-apartheid rallies of the 1980s. These movements succeeded not only because of their scale but because of their ability to disrupt the status quo, forcing governments and societies to confront pressing issues.
Yet, in today’s world, their efficacy appears to be waning. The very mechanisms that make modern protests possible – social media, instant communication, and decentralized organization – may also undermine their effectiveness. The immediacy and transience of modern protests risk creating the perception that they are fleeting – a sentiment echoed in the declining attention spans of policymakers and the public alike. What has gone wrong, and how can this once-powerful tool for change regain its influence?
Historical Power and Modern Contrast
Historically, protests were monumental endeavors requiring months of meticulous planning and widespread collaboration. Organizers spent months, sometimes years, building coalitions, raising funds, and strategizing logistics. The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, for example, which drew over 250,000 participants, was the culmination of years of organizing. These efforts showcased not only the strength of the movement but the stakes involved, underscoring the gravity of the issues at hand.
Contemporary protests seem to take on a starkly different nature. While movements like the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests drew unprecedented numbers globally, the ease of organization via social media has created a paradox: the frequency and scale of protests have increased, but their perceived urgency and gravitas have diminished.
Indeed, as sociologist Susan Olzak highlights, modern protests often fail to convey the credible threat necessary to compel policy changes. In her study of police accountability in U.S. cities, she found that while protests could lead to the establishment of civilian review boards, their long-term influence often fell short of expectations.
The Desensitization Effect
One of the defining features of today’s protests is their ubiquity. Global protests increased annually by 11.5% from 2009 to 2019. While this reflects a growing willingness among citizens to challenge authority, it has also led to a general atmosphere of desensitization surrounding protests. Protests, once rare and dramatic events, are now so common that they risk blending into the background noise of daily life.
Consequently, governments and citizens alike have come to view protests as routine rather than revolutionary. Policymakers dismiss protests as fleeting expressions of frustration – a “venting” of public anger that will soon fade – rather than genuine calls to action. They have thus adapted their strategies. Rather than cracking down forcefully, or responding with change, the government has shifted to a more insidious tactic: indifference. This approach is based on the assumption that public attention will soon shift elsewhere.
Commodification and the Rise of Performative Activism
Compounding this challenge is the commodification of activism.
Corporations, eager to align themselves with popular causes, frequently issue statements of support or make symbolic gestures, such as changing their logos during Pride Month or Black History Month. Yet, these actions often lack substantive follow-through, serving primarily to enhance brand image rather than advance the cause at hand, therefore allowing companies to reap the benefits of appearing socially conscious without committing to meaningful change.
This performative activism not only dilutes the credibility of movements but also signals to policymakers that activism has become more symbolic than substantive, undermining the credibility of genuine movements. When protests are co-opted by corporate marketing strategies, their transformative potential is reduced to a mere trend, undermining their capacity to drive systemic change.
Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword
Few tools have revolutionized activism as profoundly as social media. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have democratized the ability to organize and amplify messages, giving marginalized voices a global stage. The low barrier to entry means that protests can be organized overnight. However, this has introduced significant challenges.
The ease of online participation has fostered a culture of “slacktivism,” where individuals engage superficially — by liking posts or sharing hashtags — without committing to deeper involvement.
Moreover, the algorithm-driven nature of social media platforms prioritizes sensationalism and the “shock factor” over substance, often reducing complex issues to simplistic narratives. While this can raise awareness, it risks trivializing the depth of the problems at hand.
Furthermore, the leaderless and decentralized nature of many modern movements on social media, while initially empowering, often leads to disorganization and lack of clear objectives.
Additionally, social media’s echo chambers have further amplified divisions within and between movements, making it harder to build the broad coalitions necessary for lasting change. This fragmentation weakens protests’ collective power, as energy is often spent on internal disagreements rather than advancing shared goals.
Governments and corporations, meanwhile, have become adept at using social media to their advantage. Digital surveillance tools allow them to monitor protest movements in real-time, preempting actions before they gain traction. The same platforms that empower activists can thus also be used to suppress them.
The Way Forward: Rethinking Protest Strategies
To restore the power of protests, activists must move beyond one-dimensional strategies and embrace a multipronged approach.
History offers valuable lessons in this regard. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, for example, was not just a protest but a year-long campaign that combined economic pressure with strategic legal challenges and grassroots mobilization. Similarly, the Suffragette movement employed a mix of public demonstrations, lobbying, and civil disobedience in order to achieve its aims.
Street demonstrations remain vital, of course, but they must be part of a broader effort that includes lobbying, community organizing, and policy advocacy. Protests should be the starting point, not the endpoint. For instance, economic tools such as boycotts and divestment campaigns can be powerful, forcing institutions to confront the financial consequences of inaction.
Artistic expression offers another avenue for impact. Public murals, music, and films can sustain a movement’s message long after the crowds have dispersed. By embedding activism in culture, movements can maintain visibility and relevance over time.
The Bronx Science Perspective: Grassroots Action
While large-scale protests often dominate headlines, localized efforts can be equally impactful. Community-led initiatives targeting specific issues – such as environmental injustices or housing crises – demonstrate how focused activism can yield tangible results. These smaller movements often serve as laboratories for innovation, testing strategies that can be scaled up to broader contexts.
The Bronx Science community is an excellent example of how local activism can thrive at the intersection of tradition and innovation. Evelyn Morris ’26, a leader in the school’s Climate Strike Board, emphasized the importance of integrating protests with long-term initiatives.
“We’ve learned that protests alone aren’t enough,” Morris explained. “That’s why we focus on combining demonstrations with outreach. It’s about building a movement that lasts.”
A Call for Creativity and Persistence
The challenges facing modern protests are substantial, but they are not insurmountable; the diminishing power of protests is not an indictment of activism itself but a call for reimagining their potential.
By rethinking what activism can look like, learning from history, and adapting to the present, movements can reclaim their transformative power. This will, however, require creativity, persistence, and a willingness to embrace new strategies. The future of activism depends on our ability to think beyond the march, integrating protests into broader campaigns that tackle the systemic roots of injustice, whether that is through the form of lobbying for legislative reforms, fostering community resilience, or holding institutions accountable.
Today’s protest movements have the tools to succeed. The true question is whether they will use them effectively.
The challenges facing modern protests are substantial, but they are not insurmountable; the diminishing power of protests is not an indictment of activism itself but a call for reimagining their potential.