I was thinking today about scenarios in which people with social power could leverage their online status, availability and persona in an attempt to compel others to comply with behavioral mandates or other, perhaps ideological objectives.

The idea is basically that anyone with a vast social following might allow access to a specific set of online assets of theirs … or to more direct relation with them… only to those who complied with some behavioral demand or maintained membership in some ideological framework.

I saw that it might be possible to effect rapid and radical change — and also dangerous forms extremism — under these conditions. One may, of course, observe this behavior in caricature amongst the common folk, who, for example, threaten their friendlist with exile for those members either whose compliance with some proposed behavior or ideology is at odds with the objectives of the aggressor.

What I imagine is the selective offering and denial of uncommonly available relational possibilities with celebrities — of almost any ilk — in return for participation in specifically stipulated activity (which may include voluntary or obligatory inhibitions of other activity).

Membership in select relational groups based upon compliance with mandates. I sense a future in which this is common may be closer than we imagine.