How much is a click worth?
Google, and many other platforms, make it a competition, an auction for how much your attention is going to cost.
In my line of work, your attention is also very important. Many decisions are driven by the amount of attention from the public. Politicians are very sensitive to scrutiny and criticism. Therefore, decisions that pass quietly by are welcome from government. And, that is why the opposition tries to create a stir and shine a spotlight on them.
How much of your time and attention is our democracy worth?
A common phrase used to excuse participation is, “I am so busy! There is so much going on between work, the kids dance lessons, and making sure everyone in the house is fed.”
We are so busy
It is true. We are very busy. The endlessly increasing cost of living, and overwhelming consumer debt are demanding more time, more money and more attention. But, we are also more distracted with less important things all competing for our attention.
Our devices are set up to provide notifications. They masquerade as little productivity helpers, but they fill up our day. Drink more water, call so and so, be here, be there. Besides, it is more fun and more rewarding to use the few minutes waiting for the water to boil scrolling through Instagram to see how much our status has increased since our last status update. How many clicks, hearts and engagements?
These platforms have become the bread and butter for politicians. We get real time, measurable statistics telling how well we are doing (or not). They offer a place for our constituents to provide feedback 24/7 on any given initiative.
Arguably, there has never been more engagement in our democracy. On Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email, digital petitions and form letter campaigns. It is easy to publish your views and be heard.
How much is a click worth? It is an important question. Does it replace sitting through the meeting at City Hall? Is it worth more to attend a community meeting in person?
On one hand, the platforms have created tools where hundreds (thousands) of people can advocate for an issue, drive a policy direction at the request of an organization that has gained their trust, with just one click of a button. On the other, have they read the letter and do they understand the issue? Does it matter?
Making an impact
But how much impact does a click have? Does it have more impact than the hand-written letter?
We track all the engagements in our office. We do our best to respond to each and every instance when someone takes the time to reach out. Whether it is the 700+ people who recently sent me a form letter from the Ancient Forest Alliance, popped by the office, picked up the phone or sent a hand-written note. Each one is a form of participation in our democracy. Each one is important and should not be ignored.
As we swim in emails from the latest campaign, we use the appropriate tools in response. It is about attention and that is reflected in the response. We could not possibly hand-write a response to each of the form letter senders. But, we do try to hand-write something back to the people who take the time to hand-write one to me.
With a whole new generation of clicktivism it is easier to rally thousands of people to act. Not easy, but easier. It does have an impact. This post is proof that these campaigns cause pause and thought.
So, how much is a click worth?
The 23 hand-written letters we received from the elementary students or the 100 thoughtfully scribed letters from the Salish Sea defenders create a whole other level of effort on our part. In light of that, how much is a click worth?
Never stop engaging in your democracy. In the end, every engagement matters and is welcome in my office. Tell me your story. Encourage your friends, family and neighbours to do the same. What is your perspective? Did we get it right? Wrong? Perhaps, we missed something. All of this information improves outcomes, and in a world where the value of attention is growing rapidly, the more attention you can draw to the issues that matter to you, the better!
Don’t let me and my colleagues off the hook. We are elected to represent you and to do that well, we need to hear from you.
Very well said Adam. Keep blogging please!