From the viewpoint of communicators, language and other symbolic systems are

From the viewpoint of communicators, language and other symbolic systems are social targets, resources aimed at shaping shared social understanding.

Inactive tools misreads them, since language is an active, working means of communication rather than something idle.

Economic targets narrows them to money and markets, missing their wider social role for communicators.

Cultural fantasies suggests imagined, unreal notions, which does not describe the practical social use communicators make of symbols.

Communicators wield language to reach and move people within society.

Symbolic systems thus serve social ends of meaning and connection.