Friends and friends

In a recent issue of The New Yorker , Malcolm Gladwell dismissed the notion that social media can promote deep social change. Activists, he points out, take courage from the companionship of like-minded and close friends. Without that shared courage, movements buckle and die. And, he argues, social media cannot create the kinds of bonds necessary for revolutionary political movements. Gladwell writes,

“‘Social networks are particularly effective at increasing motivation,’ [Jennifer] Aaker and [Andy] Smith write. But that’s not true. Social networks are effective at increasing participation —by lessening the level of motivation that participation requires. The Facebook page of the Save Darfur Coalition has 1,282,339 members, who have donated an average of nine cents apiece. The next biggest Darfur charity on Facebook has 22,073 members, who have donated an average of thirty-five cents. Help Save Darfur has 2,797 members, who have given, on average, fifteen cents. A spokesperson for the Save Darfur Coalition told Newsweek, ‘We wouldn’t necessarily gauge someone’s value to the advocacy movement based on what they’ve given. This is a powerful mechanism to engage this critical population. They inform their community, attend events, volunteer. It’s not something you can measure by looking at a ledger.’ In other words, 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. We are a long way from the lunch counters of Greensboro.”