Social Media, Potential for Social Change?

        Malcom Gladwell has a fair point, almost all of us have over five hundred “friends” on Facebook but none of us actually talk to more then twenty on occasion.  However I find his assumption that nothing can happen from these loose networks to be flawed.  He didn’t account for the power of popularity, especially in younger teens.  There is always the urge to be cool so when someone posts about their day and someone on their list sees it they are more likely remember the location.  People are very easily influenced over the Internet, as most people don’t take the time to check sources they just blindly follow the latest trend.  A case of this was the recent KONY 2012 campaign, it became huge and I don’t think there was a single person with Facebook that didn’t hear about it.  However if you check your sources you would find that the organization behind was kind of sketchy and had been doing these campaigns for years.


       People have almost no accountability while online and thus don't get involved or feel attached to stuff started on the internet, people like and dislike causes on the interent.  This doesn't accomplish anything but allow the person to seem like an activist to there hundreds of "friends" they have acquired.

       Although Malcom is right as trends only last for about a week it still has potential to bring change like bills in congress through trending petitions.  This grew very common in the last couple of years with ACTA and SOPA going through.  But in the long run these social media sites have very little potential as they are built on weak ties to acquaintances.

                                                                                                       Mark Hammond