Malcolm Gladwell’s classic critique of the political impact of social media

New Yorker contributor Malcom Gladwell took issue with the alleged revolutionary impact of social media on politics in this now classic piece.

Gladwell starts by saying that “the world, we are told, is in the midst of a revolution. The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism. With Facebook and Twitter and the like, the traditional relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended, making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coördinate, and give voice to their concern”.

However, he then lays out a pretty elaborate critique of this idea, summed up here: “Facebook activism succeeds not by motivating people to make a real sacrifice but by motivating them to do the things that people do when they are not motivated enough to make a real sacrifice.”

According to him, social and political movements on social media are built around ‘weak ties’, social connections which are easy to create, but don’t represent an organizational and ideological model strong enough to support real change.

Any thoughts?

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