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He begins his article with a Story about the Greensboro sit-ins, and how the protests started with a group of four college students and accumulated to around seventy thousand students all across the South. Gladwell strongly emphasized that the sit-ins took place “without e- mail, texting, Facebook, or Twitter”. He then moves on to explain other historic examples of activism, and determines that the “weak ties” related to social media “seldom lead to high risk activism”.
Gladwell examines how social media creates a large network based upon unity instead of a hierarchy, nd argues that a handful of activist movements have not been successful when lacking a central authority and hierarchy. My personal view is that I disagree with the viewpoints of Gladwell. believe that through the innovation of technology, amazing things can happen. Social media is an incredible tool to make a change, support a cause and raise awareness. For example, over the summer there was a fundraiser for AL-S.
ALS is a terrible disease that affects people’s motor functions. The challenge involves people getting doused with buckets of ice water on video, posting hat video to social media, then nominating others to do the same, all in an effort to raise ALS awareness. People can either accept the challenge or make a donation to an ALS Charity of their choice, or do both. Just like that, with the click of a few buttons, awareness is being raised. This challenge went viral and everyone knew about it.
Though I concede that people may not be as motivated because its easier to just post a video than travel to a specific place to protest, still maintain that social media is something that people hould take advantage of because it can really help so many people with all different types of issues. Social media unites all different people from around the world that can agree on one single cause and come together on the issue, which is something that Gladwell feels isnt good for activist movements. This issue about social media is important because people need to realize all the good that can come out Of it instead of reflecting on the negatives.
In his essay, Gladwell introduces two men that emphasize my argument with the se of social media to bring about awareness for social issues. Mark Pfeifle, a former national-security adviser wrote ” Without Twitter, people would not have felt empowered and confident to stand up for freedom and security’. Pfeifle implies that for some people, it may not be as easy to stand in front of a crowd of people to stand up for something they believe it. However, with the use of social media, these people can express themselves and not miss out on the opportunity to support a cause.
Gladwell also uses the words of James K Glassman, a former senator State Department official. Glassman told a crowd of cyber activists “You are the best hope for us all”. Glassman makes it clear that social media is very important to the people of todays society and that we need these activists to promote awareness and better society. From this perspective, Facebook, Twitter and other sources of social media are the most powerful tools in todays society to make a change for social and political issues. Social media matters because it is a mechanism that makes it possible for people to be informed become a part of such important issues.
From the Greensboro sit-ins through word of mouth to the ALS Fundraiser through social media people are still making changes for a great cause. At the end Of the day, regardless Of how the word gets out and the way in which people support it, awareness is being raised. It is so simple for people to be aware of these fundraisers and events through Facebook and Twitter because it so accessible to them and because of that they can help others and spread the word just through the click of a button. So suggest that everyone keeps clicking away, because the more we click, the more awareness we raise.