The Internet, Social Media and Socialism

I have started this thread in the hope that we can examine our relationship with Social Media, and our continued use of and expansion of it.   

It has been suggested that the internet removes the need for leaders. 

 The young people of Britain do not need leaders, and the new wave of activists has no interest in the ideological bureaucracy of the old left. Their energy and creativity is disseminated via networks rather than organisations, and many young people have neither the time nor the inclination to wait for any political party to decide what direction they should take.

Laurie Penny, The Guardian

People are disillusioned with politics, parties and politicians, of that there is no doubt. This situation gets us off to a bad start because we are ‘The Socialist Party’ and the perception will be that we are ‘politicians’.  This a disaster and a blight on our movement because we are unique in that we don’t have political leaders and we don’t want people to vote for us, we want them to vote for themselves, for socialism.

Parties on the left have little to gain from publicity, as it is the same old stuff they have to offer. We, on the other hand,  have a lot to gain because our message is unique and most people have not heard it.

The direct approach as a political party may well be doomed to failure. To get our message across requires a multitude of various approaches in the use of the internet and social media.

Any ideas?

edit:

Social relations are closely bound up with productive forces. In acquiring new productive forces men change their mode of production; and in changing their mode of production, in changing the way of earning their living, they change all their social relations. The hand-mill gives you society with the feudal lord; the steam-mill society with the industrial capitalist.

  the internet gives you a society without classes or leaders