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 Sean Huang Valerie FongEnglish 1T20 April 2015Internet Activism is Still The Real ActivismIn the discussions of the relationship between Internet Technology and Social Activism, one of the controversial issues being?debated is whether?or?not?social media is?helping activists reach their goal. Malcolm Gladwell, a?staff writer of The New Yorkers, in his article “Small change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted,” explicitly argues, “social activism isn’t the same after social media becomes part of it.” He states, “The world, we are told, is in the midst of a revolution. The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism” (Gladwell ). While Gladwell disputes the idea of internet activism, he believes that Internet activism is an instant fever that creates a short impact but is not sufficient enough to stand on its own. In relationship, some believe that the?Internet is a new tool for activism; for example, Sabina Ibarra Khan, a social activist blogger, explains in her review, “The Case For Social Media and Hashtag Activism,” that “People who are activists offline tend to use social media activism as online and offline organizing strategies. They are the ones committed to a cause, become part of a movement and stick to the issue until there is change. These are activists who know the power of social media and use it as a tool to further their cause.” In my opinion, media is a tool to create more connections and to exchange information. When media is used as an educational resource for activism, it can open citizens' eyes. Media also helps activists improve their techniques, and when media is used to find information,?it can bring out the news from the front line when it’s too dangerous to get close. Social media is not going to change how activism works but creates a systematic platform to make the movement more efficient and to create a high impact. People who have the passion and belief will still put their effort into the change and do whatever they need to do for the change to come.Creating change isn’t a one-man work; a team of people who are passion and also looking for a change is required. Activist need to put physically or virtual effort into the project, sometimes they need to sacrifice their time, money or their life to ignite the change. In the 21st century, Internet became a virtual platform that we need for everyday living; the convenience of connecting people with information and exchange voice also gave the activist a new way to set up their activism. Malcolm Gladwell believes that Activism needs the participant to put physically them self at risk to fight for a change. Since the Internet is a huge platform for everyone to share voice and their experience without physically shouting out, people will only participate behind the screens and not fighting for a physical change. Also, participants are apart from each other, which is hard to form an effective group to create change. Gladwell said:There are many things, though, that networks don’t do well. Car companies sensibly use a network to organize their hundreds of suppliers, but not to design their cars. No one believes that the articulation of a coherent design philosophy is best handled by a sprawling, leaderless organizational system. Because networks don’t have a centralized leadership structure and clear lines of authority, they have real difficulty reaching consensus and setting goals. They can’t think strategically; they are chronically prone to conflict and error. (Gladwell) On social media, netizens can talk about activism for a long time without a physical act. Also, the lack of leadership makes social activism unproductive and unorganized. Through Gladwell's eyes, social media isn't providing what social activist need to start a social movement.To start a movement, citizens need to be aware of their situations and know what they need to have a better life. All sorts of media are tools to expand their views and decide to fight for a change or not. During the cold war period, information from outside the Soviet Union was blocked in all sorts of ways. David Hoffman, a political commentator and a media activist, teamed up with legendary political speaker Tip O'Neill and the chairman of Soviet state television and radio, Alexander?Aksyonov, to set up a Politburo debate program called “A Citizens’ Summit.” This program invites citizens from both countries to share?and discuss their views and communicate through media. In his book Citizen Rising, Hoffman talks about how media is essential for civilizations supporting activism. He describes “It was media that breached the Iron Curtain with images of life in the West, which led the people living under Communism to realize they were falling behind the Free World”?(Hoffman). Media opens people's eyes and reaches over the barriers that society can?create, and that creates chances for citizens to be aware of their current situations. The?same goes for social media; it helps people create connections and understand what they need in their community, creating motivation for people to want a change for their community.On social media, people post photos, comments, or news, and some activists will also post their journey toward their dreams on social media. That makes social media a good library for research and for activists to educate themselves and improve their techniques and efficiency. Neil Ketchley, a graduate of the University of Oxford, Department of Sociology, has a high interest in Middle Eastern politics. In Ketchley’s new’s article “How Social Media Spreads Protest Tactics from Ukraine to Egypt,” he explains how protesters use social media to observe and create long-term positive effects on their social activism. He explains, “In the absence of protest workshops and ‘how-to’ manuals, video footage captured on mobile phones in Kiev (and elsewhere) and uploaded to social media sites now serves as a repository for protest tactics, to be studied and adapted by anti-coup protesters thousands of miles away in Cairo” (Ketchley). Activists study and do research on other militant movements; they share their experiments and techniques to create plans, which leads to successful activismWhen press and television media aren’t allowed to be in the front line where people are fighting for their rights, the portability of social media is the only way to get down to the danger zone and let the universe hear their voices. Mackey Robert, a reporter for The New York Times, is?also the author of "Social Media Accounts of Protests in Syria." In this article, Robert explains that?social media is not just a platform for people to exchange ideas?on but also one?where activists can?voice out?their?ideas. He states, “While government imposed restrictions on independent reporting inside Syria make it nearly impossible for journalists to gather information firsthand, Syrian bloggers and activists are using Twitter to draw attention to what they describe as witness accounts of the violence and video filmed during the funerals and protests on Saturday.” When media is blocked and no one can access what?is?happening?in?the?front?lines, social media becomes more than just a platform to exchange ideas. It?becomes a portable boombox that enlarges the process of activism and the voice of a group of people.Citizens who are passionate enough to be activists will gather people who have the same beliefs and dreams and create a change in their community. Social media is not going to change what activism is, but it can be a valuable tool when people know how to use it. When social media is used as a platform for exchanging ideas and sharing information, it provides an easy way of communicating. When social media is used to create understanding and self-awareness, it gives people a brighter view?of?issues and awareness?of information from around the world. Moreover,?it?allows?them?to compare themselves to other groups of people. When social media is used as an educational resource, lots of people’s experiences and thoughts help other?people grow and be stronger, so more changes can be created to make our world even better.Work Cited Gladwell, Malcolm. "Small Change - The New Yorker." The New Yorker. N.p., 04 Oct. 2010. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. <, Neil. "How Social Media Spreads Protest Tactics from Ukraine to Egypt." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. “.”Hoffman, David. "Chapter 1: We Don't Have Sex In The Soviet Union."?Citizens Rising: Independent Journalism and the Spread of Democracy. N.p.: n.p., 2013. 15. Print.Khan Ibarra, Sabina. "The Case For Social Media and Hashtag Activism." The Huffington Post. The Huffington , 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <, Robert. "Social Media Accounts of Protests in Syria." The Lede Social Media Accounts of Protests in Syria Comments. The New York Times, 23 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <;. ................
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