Week 10 Reflective Post - The Internet, Relationships and Social Change

The article “Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted” by Malcolm Gladwell is critical of the contemporary assumption that social networking makes a significant difference to political activism. Gladwell argues that “real” social movements are characterised by strong ties among its members was well as a defined hierarchy or authority responsible for their organisation. He uses a 1960s demonstration against racial discrimination in America as his example of activism before the technology of the internet, and renders this type of activism as ideal. He then contrasts this with events that he suggests are falsely defined as revolutions, such as the democratic movement in Iraq that was supposedly aided by Twitter and the website created to successfully battle theft through the online dissemination of information.

This article got me thinking. It’s relevant because it sheds light on the potential of the internet but also draws attention to the limitations as it is being used presently. I generally agree with Gladwell in terms of his belief that revolutions have a physical dimension to them; they cannot be trapped in theory let alone in cyberspace. Joining an advocacy group on a social networking site does not communicate the same conviction as going on a hunger strike or braving physical threats. However, I believe that such online groups need not trivialise issues of injustice if they are used for raising awareness and sharing ideas; in this way, the internet would be complementing concrete demonstrations like strikes instead of appearing halfhearted attempts at protest.

While Gladwell writes specifically on political movements, I have come to realise that his criticisms of cyberspace and its proposed benefits can really be understood more broadly. The internet has allowed ideas—revolutionary or otherwise—to reach more people more easily, but these online bonds tend to be weak or even artificial. Social media has given us the gift of quantity, but it’s probably up to us to determine the quality of its use.