--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [On the Internet and activism:] The…" description: "\"[On the Internet and activism:] The danger of the Internet is cocooning with the like-minded online - of sending an email or twitter and confusing that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/gloria-steinem-277_action_on-the-internet-and-activism-the-danger_569335.jpg" --- # \[On the Internet and activism:\] The danger of the Internet… ![“[On the Internet and activism:] The danger of the Internet is cocooning with the like-minded online - of sending an email or twitter and confusing that with action - while the real corporate and military and government centers of power go right on. In a way, the highest purpose of the Internet is…” quote by Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/gloria-steinem-277_action_on-the-internet-and-activism-the-danger_569335.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/gloria-steinem-277_action_on-the-internet-and-activism-the-danger_569335.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92c/gloria-steinem-277_action_on-the-internet-and-activism-the-danger_569335.jpg) > “\[On the Internet and activism:\] The danger of the Internet is cocooning with the like-minded online - of sending an email or twitter and confusing that with action - while the real corporate and military and government centers of power go right on. In a way, the highest purpose of the Internet is to bring us together for empathy and action. After all, the reflector cells and empathy-producing chemicals in our brains only work when we're physically together with all five senses. You can't raise a baby online.” [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Online activism often replaces real-world engagement, limiting impact while power structures remain unchanged. **In simple terms:** Online activism can be shallow without real action. Key Takeaway Translate online empathy into tangible action. Themes activism technology community power empathy Mood concerned motivated Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - organizing protests - volunteering - policy advocacy Key Concepts digital echo chambers cognitive dissonance social capital Questions to Reflect On - How can you move from online support to offline impact? - What barriers keep you from direct action? A Different Perspective Online platforms can amplify misinformation and slacktivism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activism/) [Baby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baby/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Cells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cells/) [Chemicals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemicals/) [Confusing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confusing/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Danger Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger-internet-2210450/) [Email](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/email/) [Empathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empathy/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Five senses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-senses/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Activism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-activism-4701854/) [Internet Bring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-bring-2496786/) [Internet Cocooning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-cocooning-4061549/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Online](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/online/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Purpose Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-internet-4701853/) [Raises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raises/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Senses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senses/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [The danger of the Internet is cocooning with the like-minded online - of sending an email or Twitter and confusing that with action -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-danger-of-the-internet-is-cocooning-with-the-like-minded-online/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“That was supposed to be the whole purpose of the Internet, you know. To share scientific information." "Not a Viagra- and porn-delivery system?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/that-was-supposed-to-be-the-whole-purpose-of-the-internet-you-know-to/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [There's a danger of the Internet just becoming loud, ugly and boring with a thousand voices screaming for attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-drudge/there-s-a-danger-of-the-internet-just-becoming-loud-ugly-and-boring/) [Matt Drudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-drudge/) > [There's a danger in the internet and social media. The notion that information is enough, that more and more information is enough, that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-de-bono/there-s-a-danger-in-the-internet-and-social-media-the-notion-that/) [Edward de Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-de-bono/) > [In theory, the Internet should bring us all closer together and slowly eliminate our differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-evans/in-theory-the-internet-should-bring-us-all-closer-together-and-slowly/) [Jon Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-evans/) > [I think people get excited about someone discovering something that blew their mind when they were younger. I think it makes people kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/i-think-people-get-excited-about-someone-discovering-something-that/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [The Internet can bring us much closer to the developed world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajay-piramal/the-internet-can-bring-us-much-closer-to-the-developed-world/) [Ajay Piramal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajay-piramal/) > [Even if the person doesn't know what the internet can do, we can bring it to them and show how it can make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-joyner-kersee/even-if-the-person-doesn-t-know-what-the-internet-can-do-we-can-bring/) [Jackie Joyner-Kersee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-joyner-kersee/) > [“if I had to name the most important discovery of my life, it would be the portable community of talking circles; groups that gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/if-i-had-to-name-the-most-important-discovery-of-my-life-it-would-be/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [It turns out that we literally don't empathize unless we're physically present - that the oxytocin, the famous "tend and befriend" hormone is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/it-turns-out-that-we-literally-don-t-empathize-unless-we-re/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I hope readers will consider, especially in this age of the World Wide Web, that as miraculous as it is, we still need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-hope-readers-will-consider-especially-in-this-age-of-the-world-wide/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Further, in the modern story, reality is that which is observable, measurable, and repeatable - the kinds of phenomena available, accessible, and verifiable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-keel/further-in-the-modern-story-reality-is-that-which-is-observable/) [Tim Keel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-keel/) > [Modern science is under no obligation to satisfy the expectations of your five senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/modern-science-is-under-no-obligation-to-satisfy-the-expectations-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“The roots of Sansar (worldly life) are kashays (anger-pride-deceit-greed). Karmendriyo (five physical organs for action) and Gnanendriyo (five senses organs) are not the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-roots-of-sansar-worldly-life-are-kashays-anger-pride-deceit-greed/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Telepathy’ literally means to feel at a distance, just as ‘telephone’ is to hear at a distance and ‘television’ is to see at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/telepathy-literally-means-to-feel-at-a-distance-just-as-telephone-is/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More by Gloria Steinem > [People waste more time waiting for someone to take charge of their lives than they do in any other pursuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/people-waste-more-time-waiting-for-someone-to-take-charge-of-their/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Nothing will happen automatically. Change depends on what you and I do every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/nothing-will-happen-automatically-change-depends-on-what-you-and-i-do/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Women are never again going to be mindless coffee-makers or mindless policy-makers in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/women-are-never-again-going-to-be-mindless-coffee-makers-or-mindless/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The state of female artists is very good. But the very definition of art has been biased in that 'art' was what men did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-state-of-female-artists-is-very-good-but-the-very-definition-of/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [We will live to see the day that St. Patrick's Cathedral is a child-care center and the pope is no longer a disgrace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/we-will-live-to-see-the-day-that-st-patrick-s-cathedral-is-a-child/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Just when you thought multi-nationals and crazed consumerism were too big to fight, along comes Naomi Klein with facts, spirit, and news of successful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/just-when-you-thought-multi-nationals-and-crazed-consumerism-were-too/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I don't know Beyoncé, but I have the impression that she's sincere, that she really is a feminist and wanted to put the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-don-t-know-beyonc-but-i-have-the-impression-that-she-s-sincere-that/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I started out life as a writer, and writers write in part because they don't want to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-started-out-life-as-a-writer-and-writers-write-in-part-because-they/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Proust's tea cake has nothing on one hour in a college dorm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/proust-s-tea-cake-has-nothing-on-one-hour-in-a-college-dorm/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Sadomasochiasm - which we know very well doesn't exist in societies that don't have child abuse - is regarded some sort of natural sexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/sadomasochiasm-which-we-know-very-well-doesn-t-exist-in-societies/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Behave like everything you do matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/behave-like-everything-you-do-matters/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“Part of traveling over years means coming back to the same place and knowing it for the first time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/part-of-traveling-over-years-means-coming-back-to-the-same-place-and/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [If you say, I'm for equal pay, that's a reform. But if you say. I'm a feminist, that's a transformation of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/if-you-say-i-m-for-equal-pay-that-s-a-reform-but-if-you-say-i-m-a/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I think that part of everybody's success is due to their looks, but it just works in different ways. If you're whatever society calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-think-that-part-of-everybody-s-success-is-due-to-their-looks-but-it/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Of course, we can change. We're very adaptable. But it takes a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/of-course-we-can-change-we-re-very-adaptable-but-it-takes-a-while/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) [Explore all 766 Gloria Steinem quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) [Browse all 14,940 Action quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[On the Internet and activism:] The danger of the Internet is cocooning with the like-minded online - of sending an email or twitter and confusing that with action - while the real corporate and military and government centers of power go right on. 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