📢 Preaching to the Choir: Is Your Soapbox Really Changing Minds?

Scroll through any social media feed today, and you'll find a veritable flood of digital sermons. Someone is sharing an impassioned quote, someone else a fiery video, and another a heavily-edited infographic—all proclaiming what you should be doing, thinking, or believing. They are standing on their virtual soapbox, delivering a powerful message about politics, ethics, health, or social justice.

But here’s the million-dollar question: Who are you actually preaching to?

The Echo Chamber Effect

The uncomfortable reality of modern social media is that we largely inhabit curated echo chambers. Thanks to savvy algorithms and our own natural tendencies, the people who see our posts are overwhelmingly those who already agree with us.

• You follow people you like: You accepted friend requests from people who share your values.

• The algorithm shows you what you engage with: You like posts that confirm your worldview, and the platform obliges by showing you more of the same.

• The people who stay silent: Those who disagree often simply unfollow, mute, or scroll past without engaging.

So, when you share that highly critical quote or that self-righteous video about what "everyone needs to realize," are you genuinely moving the needle of public opinion? Or are you simply receiving a chorus of "Amens" from people who already occupy the same pew?

The Subtle Hypocrisy of the Digital Critic

This is where the line between advocating for change and a form of passive hypocrisy becomes blurry.

When the majority of your audience already believes that a certain behavior is wrong, sharing content that aggressively condemns it can feel less like activism and more like virtue signaling—a public display designed to confirm your own moral superiority within your like-minded group.

It often comes across like this:

“Look at me, I know the right thing to do, and I'm sharing this scathing criticism of those who don't. Since all of you already agree, let's just pat ourselves on the back for being on the 'right' side.”

The intent might be pure—a genuine desire for a better world—but the practical effect is often different:

1. It alienates the very people you might need to reach. Someone who is genuinely questioning their views is less likely to engage with a post that feels overtly judgmental and aggressive.

2. It breeds a sense of judgmental smugness within the choir. By constantly validating a shared, critical viewpoint without offering a productive path forward, we can become passively judgmental of the unseen "others."

3. It confuses sharing with action. Hitting the 'share' button feels like work, but it's not the same as having a difficult, respectful conversation with a neighbor, volunteering, or engaging in local politics.

Moving Beyond the Soapbox

If your goal is true change, perhaps it’s time to step down from the virtual soapbox and consider more effective, less performative methods of engagement.

If you are preaching a list of moral requirements, try sharing a personal story or a respectful question instead. Personal narratives are more persuasive and less likely to trigger defensiveness.

If you are condemning a group you disagree with, try highlighting the positive actions of a group you support, which focuses energy on building up rather than tearing down. Finally, if you are shouting on your feed (the echo chamber), focus on engaging respectfully with people outside your normal sphere, as direct, thoughtful communication is key to breaking down silos.

True advocacy isn't about making yourself feel good in a bubble of agreement. It’s about the difficult, slow work of meeting people where they are, offering a path forward, and modeling the change you wish to see—even (and especially) when no one is watching.

©Lisa King, MS, LPC