By Nicole Melzer
I thought we Germans already had enough potty words in our vocabulary – but it seems like we’ve run out of them. To describe a chorus of outrage on the internet, especially through social media, we have chosen the word ‘shitstorm’. The English word has quickly become established in the German language and it seems to now be an integral part of everyday life for us Germans.
The ‘shitstorm’ phenomenon has arisen out of social media, and tends to start very easily but often comes to a very quick end. Anyone and anything can become the subject of online outrage – for example, just a couple of days ago, McDonald’s had a ‘shitstorm’ on its hands in Germany. What prompted the online protest was that the well-known fast food chain added Curry Sausage into their product portfolio. Unfortunately for McDonald’s, the Curry Sausage is an untouchable ‘Holy Grail’ for Germans – Curry Sausage mixed in with Cheeseburger and Chicken Nuggets? No way! So McDonald’s was confronted with a wave of protests across the internet.
But is ‘shitstorming’ really a new trend? I don’t think so. Debates, protests and outpouring of outrage online are not a new phenomenon – especially over information technology issues. People are spending more and more of their lives online and are therefore feeling increasingly strongly about the technological infrastructure – and the surrounding ideologies which underpin it – they depend on today. Technology is now increasingly playing a role in formulating policy, with much debate online about the freedom and equality surrounding internet access, for example.
So when do these ‘storms’ of protesters strike? Despite the proliferation of social media sites like Twitter, many organisations and public figures like politicians are still playing it safe and avoiding internet-related issues, as they are afraid that they would be unable to generate support within the web community.
But I think this is the wrong approach to addressing the rising trend, as a ‘shitstorm’ can also provide a great opportunity. As daunting as a wave of online protest can look at first, it provides a chance to start communicating with users in real-time and to become part of the network and wider community. People can share and voice their opinions directly in a way that cannot be done in the offline world, so debates can be constructive and conversational. If you want to be part of the social media community, it can’t just be ignored. Instead of pretending this is a short-term trend, the web must now be viewed as a way to develop a loyal community of people who are keen to engage with your brand. Don’t be afraid of a ‘shitstorm’ – just take the simple step of not hesitating, and just communicating.
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