Malcolm Gladwell Small Change Summary

In the discussion of Small Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted, author Malcolm Gladwell works to prove his firm opinion on social media's effect on social activism. While Gladwell does recognize that social media websites often serve as slight platforms for certain movements, he is clear in his belief that internet activism is a weak form of action. In order to prove his point, Gladwell brings up various moments in history that were crucial toward the push for social justice in our country. One thing that all of these historical acts have in common is that they were very real, person-to-person interactions. As I read this piece, I began to connect Gladwell's recalls of the past to the issues of the present. I thought to myself, is

the current social activism that I see due to social media, or is it propelled by face-to-face, motivated activism? My pondering led me to the realization that Gladwell is surely correct. The hope to transform America's social equality in this time of controversy and political scandal is not a revolution that can "be tweeted".
One point that was very eye-opening to me as a personal user of social media was Gladwell's argument of social media's "weak ties".

This is an aspect of social media sites that I see every day, but I have failed to previously recognize. "The platforms of social media are built around weak ties," Gladwell explains, "that’s why you can have a thousand 'friends' on Facebook, as you never could in real life." This statement makes sense to me, as I scroll through these weak ties on social media sites every day. There are always various posts for casting your vote on a petition, and with one simple click, one feels they have voiced their opinion. These polls, as Gladwell says, get people to sign up "by not asking too much of them". However, what these people fail to consider is that this clicking and retweeting does not change anything. These social media "activists" are not the ones creating change, they will not be wrote about in history books. They merely support a cause in the comfort of their own home, behind a screen name. Therefore, these causes are not truly supported, nor effectively acted upon. Gladwell's recognition of the weak ties in social media activism is sadly very

accurate.
Yet another reason why social justice cannot be achieved online is due to this generation's overall obsession with social media.

For many young people who should be acting on behalf of their generation's issues, reality and social media have become far too close. Gladwell makes a terrific analogy in order to prove this point, saying "The evangelists of social media...they seem to believe that a Facebook friend is the same as a real friend". The reason that people prefer to repost articles and pictures about a cause, rather than act on it, is because of the low risk while online. This can be compared to how a bully may hide behind a message board instead of involving themselves in real action. This social media activism is completely safe compared to the real activists throughout American history, who risked their lives to defend a cause. "Boycotts and sit-ins and nonviolent confrontations are high risk strategies", Gladwell argues, speaking of the Greensboro lunch counter protests and Martin Luther King Jr.'s marchers. "We are a long way from the lunch counters of Greensboro", Gladwell warns. If this generation could learn to see past the safety behind a computer and stand up in reality for what they believe in, perhaps there could be a change or even a

revolution.
Another problem that we face in our generation is the fact that this is a time for mass choices and mass movements, rather than individual views or leadership. For example, why do we join social media sites to begin with? We were not born with this desire, we only join social media because we see those around us doing so. Before social media, individuals with strong opinions followed powerful leaders like Martin Luther King Junior in organized and forceful movements. For example, Gladwell describes the black church community during the Civil Rights Movement as "a carefully demarcated division of labor, with various standing committees and disciplined groups." Gladwell then went on to identify the problem of our current lack of leadership, explaining that "because networks don't have a centralized leadership structure and clear lines of authority, they have real difficulty reaching consensus and setting goals". This is is a crucial problem that Gladwell has shed light on, for if our generation does not start to become united and organized in our social justice movements, things could become stagnant and a change may not prevail.
Due to the weak ties and connections that are formed over social media, people have created a false sense of activism for themselves as they participate in causes online. Furthermore, the inability to separate reality from online activity, along with our nation’s current lack of individual opinions and strong leadership, have put a damper on strong American activism. As a user of social media and a young adult of our generation, I find Gladwell’s argument not only valid, but very important. Perhaps if more young people were able to realize that a retweet is not an act of bravery, the continuous movement toward social equality would surge on.