Denny JA Explains New Theory Behind the August 2025 Riots

LSI founder Denny JA has introduced a new concept he calls the ‘Digital Era Riot Theory’ to explain the social phenomena developing within a society increasingly connected by technology and algorithms.

Through his essay, Denny JA assesses that the riots occurring in August 2025 were not merely ordinary political or social unrest, but rather a sign of the birth of a new pattern in digital society dynamics that cannot yet be fully explained by classical social theories.

According to Denny JA, various social theories that have long been used as references remain relevant, but they are unable to provide a complete explanation for the phenomenon of riots in the digital age.

He highlighted three major theories: Ted Robert Gurr’s Relative Deprivation, which explains anger resulting from the gap between expectations and reality; McCarthy and Zald’s Resource Mobilization Theory, which emphasises the importance of organisation and resources in social movements; and Manuel Castells and Zeynep Tufekci’s Networked Protest Theory, which explains the role of the internet and social media in mass mobilisation.

Nevertheless, these three theories are deemed insufficient to fully explain the role of algorithms, social media, and the emergence of digital worker groups in shaping contemporary waves of protest.

One of the core concepts offered by Denny JA is the ‘Digitally Vulnerable Class’ (DVC). This group consists of online motorcycle taxi drivers, digital couriers, freelancers, platform workers, content creators, and various informal workers whose livelihoods depend on digital systems.

According to him, this group lives within three simultaneous forms of vulnerability: economic vulnerability, algorithmic vulnerability, and vulnerability of expectation. The DVC is identified as a new social actor with the potential to become a primary force in various social upheavals in the digital era.

Five Main Variables of the Digital Era Riot Theory

Denny JA explains that the theory he proposes is built upon five main variables, namely:

Economic Grievance: Economic unrest serves as the primary fuel for social anger. The rising prices of basic necessities, declining purchasing power, limited job opportunities, and future uncertainty act as sources for the accumulation of public disappointment.