Digital Activism, Media Practices and the Emergence of the Anti-Woke Movement

Abstract This essay explores the transformative impact of digital media on social dynamics through an analysis of John Postill’s The Anthropology of Digital Practices: Dispatches from the Online Culture Wars . It situates the work within the broader disciplines of media studies and internet activism, emphasizing its relevance for understanding the complexities of modern digital behaviours. By examining formative media effects, the book challenges enduring misconceptions about media causation, offering valuable insights into the interplay between digital practices and societal change. Through an analysis of critical events, the book examines the rise of the anti-woke movement and its evolution within dynamic media landscapes. It highlights how the anti-woke movement uses digital tools to create online personas, frame events and contest narratives, often in opposition to the social justice or “woke” movements. Through this lens, the author invites media scholars to reconsider traditional media effects and embrace more complex understandings of media causality in the digital era.