Chauncey Vega at Salon doesn’t think so.
“For a variety of reasons including economic precariousness, an unresponsive political system, a fear of violence and punishment from and by the state, and a culture of distraction and entertainment, the American people are stuck in a state of learned helplessness.
“What social scientist and futurist John Feffer has described as “participatory totalitarianism” conditions the American people (and others in the West and elsewhere) to desire and approve of constant surveillance. It has become normalized and incentivized by social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. People who are co-opted by “participatory totalitarianism” are increasingly incapable of being responsible and engaged democratic citizens because narcissistic, attention-seeking behavior has robbed them of core parts of their shared humanity.”