Chick-fil-A in Toronto and Virtue Signalling on Social Media

Wouldn’t it be great if you could demonstrate to the world what an amazing person you are just by posting where you eat—or don’t eat—on social media?

Given the current state of polarization in our society, it should come as no surprise that something as simple as the opening of a fast-food restaurant has become not only controversial but also one of the quickest ways to share with the world your remarkable example of "modern virtue."

Polarization is fracturing our society, with social media serving as the jackhammer. In an age when it has never been easier to discover any individual’s views, a single Tweet “outing” someone for being on the politically incorrect side of an issue can result in immediate calls for a boycott.

The draw of using social media for such public display is clear. “In a world where everyone is a one man/one woman P.R. department on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, ‘moral peacocking’—outrage on social media that is not combined with action—becomes convenient and costless” (“When Do Consumer Boycotts Work?” NYTimes.com, February 7, 2017). It costs nothing and yet shows the world what a virtuous person you are—aptly symbolizing what our society has come to value: The appearance of good, rather than substance.