Reading in the New Yorker recently, I read an article by Malcolm Gladwell, Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted, which explained an interesting contrast between social networking and effective social activism. As Gladwell explains, while social networking creates loose networks that do not demand high levels of commitment, social activism that leads to social change requires tight networks that demand high levels of commitment. He uses the Montgomery Bus Boycott as an example of what would probably NOT be accomplished in the day and age of activism via social networking.
As we all continue to want to harness the power of social media, it's an interesting idea to consider to manage our expectations about what Facebook and Twitter can and cannot do for our causes.
