Famous or not, people have become comfortable unleashing blunt, emotive opinions in the public arena - from the personal to venting on issues of the day from the coronavirus to climate change.
People from different backgrounds, areas, ages and pay-rates can find themselves on the same side of an issue. Some can discover that views they grew up with have been well and truly overtaken.
Social media can act as a pressure launcher, speeding heated statements and dramatic events around the globe in a digital pile-on when an issue such as Israel and Gaza captures attention.
It is much easier now to organise actions to back up your views. That can spill over into how news events unfold and policies are shaped.
Ideas can quickly gain momentum. Businesses and politicians are taking note, but can easily be wrong-footed and appear off the pace. Reputations can get run over quickly, as the Bill and Melinda Gates divorce and royal family dramas show.
And there's a lot of crossover occurring: Social media has allowed for a greater fusion of the political, business, social, cultural and sports worlds.
New Zealand Rugby has been used to going about its business in its own way, leading to successful results on the field and public standing, over decades.
A rare public squabble with current stars through their players' association is one thing. But when one of the greatest All Blacks, former captain Richie McCaw, urges a re-think it's time for one. The decision by New Zealand Rugby to consider an alternative option could be interpreted as a score for the players in the unstated PR battle for public support.
Other sports are grappling with the challenges of staying in touch with public opinion and the attitudes of fans who play the game, pay to watch games, and wear merchandise. It's business built on their emotions - the fans' attachments to their teams that's also about their own identity, home loyalty, and community.
Then there's the high-profile sportspeople who are themselves influenced by what's going on and have the clout to influence others.
Manchester United footballer Paul Pogba, for instance, held up a Palestinian flag at a match this week. A combination of agitated fans and former players-turned-commentators scuppered a planned breakaway European super league in April.
In the United States, the National Basketball League actively used its public platform last year to support Black Lives Matter protests.
It was a shift from Colin Kaepernick's treatment in the National Football League over his stance on racial justice since 2016. Kaepernick, now 33, has been ignored as a player by professional football teams for four years.
The NBA, in contrast, stuck close to its stars' wishes, which would most likely be in tune with many fans' views.
Black players dominate both leagues - making up 74.2 per cent in the NBA and 58.9 per cent in the NFL.
Although data shows that as a whole fans of the four major US sports leagues are mostly demographically white and slightly left-leaning politically, the NBA has the most diverse group of supporters.
In foreign affairs, the influence of public opinion and activism has already had an impact on the approach of US President Joe Biden's Administration. He has pushed policies known to be publicly popular, and changed tack on some decisions after criticism within his party, although the Middle East is proving tough to navigate.
On climate change and the environment, governments around the world are eager to emphasise that they are taking action but face a lot of scepticism. Research data is being used to hone in on what's happening, who the culprits are and what needs to be done - and that's available to anyone to read.
It is an area where legal action will increasingly be used to chase authorities and businesses to walk the talk. A German court ruled that the country's climate change laws are insufficient and meant the young had to shoulder too much of the burden.
Even when it's a tightrope, when a movement builds to the point it can't be ignored, politicians, celebrities and businesses are keen to be obviously on the popular side.
None can ignore issues and events that clearly matter to people.
