I suspect that these loud mouths have always existed but social media is amplifying their voices and the companies they target don't yet understand how to deal

I suspect that these loud mouths have always existed but social media is amplifying their voices and the companies they target don't yet understand how to deal with them. One angry person screaming in the lobby of your building in 1982 was a minor nuisance. A protest rally of thousands, covered by the national media was a PR disaster. People being outraged on twitter to an audience of anywhere from millions to a half dozen followers can feel more like the protest rally than the individual screaming in the lobby. Companies have to learn how not to engage because most of the time these folks quickly move on to another target if they don't get the attention they're seeking.