Saw a few would-be interviews where protestors were asked what exactly they were protesting. NONE could answer the question. If they were truthful, the answers would either be 1) “MoveOn.org tweet instructed me to be here”; 2) “I just want to be part of the excitement”; 3) “I’m here in support of my special interest group”; 4) “I hate whitey.”
Number Four,,,
Yes,
This is definitely a big part of it. Everyone wants to think they have some effect on current events and are not just watching passively as it goes by on TV. It's why the media are not fair and balanced--what fun is that? And these kids know the difference between beer parties and marching and singing in the streets.
I'm not excusing it. The exact opposite, actually. It's part of the instant-gratification culture. To study and learn and write and maybe try to get elected themselves or work for a candidate is a drag and not the way they were brought up.