The Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted, But It Can Help

In his article, “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted,” Malcom Gladwell makes some pretty good points about why the internet and social media do not completely change the game when it comes to activism. One can probably see the issues with a digitally generated protest or sit-in even without Gladwell’s paper.

The reason protests like those that took place in Egypt are so successful is because it is so clear whn a large group of people support it. That is because you can see it. You can see the number of people in the streets and the enthusiasm they show for their cause. By contrast it still seems like any online activism or petition signing doesn’t carry much weight. You may have 1000 people ‘attending’ your event on Facebook, but until they actually show up in person they are uselesss.
The idea of being willing to sacrafice something is what gives these activists and their actions so much power. When you see them take to the streets you know they are willing to put a face to their cause and in some cases suffer some kind of harm whether physical abuse or social stigmatizing. However, simply retweeting a message does not have the same effect.
While a physical presence will always outweigh a digital one when it comes to matters like this, we cannot underestimate the importance of social media tools like Twitter and Facebook. You may need to physically show up to a protest to create change, but that protest can be started online. There are a lot of people out there that are waiting for their “tipping point” when it comes to protests, they want to see others joining in before they do. By starting online, these people can see the growth and strength of the movement before stepping foot outside. From there they must actually take some action to be recognized by the authority they’re trying to reach.
So the internet and social media may help organize activism like that which we saw in the Middle East early this year, but when it comes down to it, a physical presence is needed. Protests can’t take place entirely online with any hope of being effective, but they can start online and the internet can be used to get them started. It’s just the peoples’ job after that to actually show up.