America is becoming less "woke"

Definitions and Uses of “Woke”

• Thread disagrees on what “woke” means and whether it’s useful.
• Some frame it as basic empathy and awareness of structural oppression.
• Others see it as a vague insult now used to mean “anything I dislike,” especially by the right, or as shorthand for “identity politics.”
• Several complain that such umbrella terms (woke, DEI, SJW, “defund the police”) erase nuance and create fake battle lines.
• A few argue “woke” (and its predecessors) are just the latest label for a long‑running political subculture that continually rebrands.

Corporate DEI, ESG, and Representation

• Multiple comments note a visible decline in DEI job listings; proposed explanations:
  • Economic downturn and general hiring slowdown.
  • Market saturation once large firms staffed those roles.
  • Investor backlash and partisan attacks on DEI.
  • Perception that standalone DEI roles add little value.
• Others counter that DEI work can be substantial (events, mentoring, policy work) and often ties to legal/compliance risk reduction.
• ESG reporting is seen as still strong, but some want to keep it from drifting into the same culture‑war zone.
• Queer representation in ads splits opinion:
  • Some LGBTQ commenters feel targeted and commodified; call it pure virtue signaling.
  • Others welcome mainstream visibility as better than erasure, while still disliking hollow “rainbow-washing.”

Virtue Signaling, Outrage, and Echo Chambers

• Many see “wokeness” (and its right‑wing mirror) as performative: corporations, politicians, and influencers stoke outrage to gain attention or profit.
• Both left and right are accused of using inflammatory language, grandstanding, and refusing genuine policy engagement.
• Some claim people are getting better at spotting “performative outrage,” but still easily manipulated by it.

Culture War Fatigue and Institutions

• Several say people are tired of culture‑war topics, which crowd out discussion of policy, inequality, and governance.
• Schools, churches, and other institutions saw realignment during/after COVID (e.g., people leaving stricter or more “woke” spaces), but broader secularization trends are also noted.
• Some argue culture‑war fights distract from wealth inequality; others focus on hypocrisy in affluent “progressive” cities with extreme rich‑poor gaps.

Article and Data Critiques

• Some call the article “nonsensical” or “irrelevant,” arguing it tracks weak proxies and overinterprets a post‑peak dip that’s still above 2019 levels.
• Others say measuring proxy signals is imperfect but reasonable, and dismissing such analysis outright contributes to today’s polarization.
• Several complain that coverage of “woke” is more about engagement and clicks than insight.