Online social networking has allowed for individuals around the globe to be connected to one another. This constant connection allows for information to travel in mere seconds and be shared by millions. Thus, everyone can be informed and updated on current issues. The question that now stands is, can social networks be used to spark a revolution? As well, can it be on a political level? The answer to these questions is yes; social networking can be used to create a revolution in a political concept with liberation and suppression. To gain insight, Facebook and Twitter will be used to showcase their relationship to spreading political awareness via the Arab springs, the LGBT campaign for equal marriage and the ALS ice bucket challenge as well
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Firstly, the LGBT’s campaign for equal marriage used social media to ask users to change their profile picture to a red equal sign to support equality. The picture represented the symbolic action that users were taking to help acknowledge the movement. The user’s social nodes on Facebook were showcasing support of the LGBT. Reports showed that over ten million users changed their profile picture showcasing its success. However, this notion also coined a term called slacktivism. Slacktivism is in response to an individuals change without a response to the issue at hand. The user believes they are doing a big part by just changing their profile, and therefore do not spend the time to continue spreading awareness. Another key example of this is the ALS ice bucket challenge. People all around the world took to social media to dump cold water on their heads and then challenge others to do the same and to donate if they refused. The issue at hand was that those who participated in the challenge did not donate. Even though they are doing a social challenge to represent the cause, without supporting it with a donation means it did not directly benefit the cause at hand. With that being said, social media is built around weak ties; twitter is meant to be followed and Facebook is there to share (Gladwell, Week 8). The way to get people invested is by asking very little of them. Thus bringing us to how retweeting, liking and sharing has allowed for awareness to spread globally. Social networking is good for activists to get their message out but not good for an actual change to
Firstly, the LGBT’s campaign for equal marriage used social media to ask users to change their profile picture to a red equal sign to support equality. The picture represented the symbolic action that users were taking to help acknowledge the movement. The user’s social nodes on Facebook were showcasing support of the LGBT. Reports showed that over ten million users changed their profile picture showcasing its success. However, this notion also coined a term called slacktivism. Slacktivism is in response to an individuals change without a response to the issue at hand. The user believes they are doing a big part by just changing their profile, and therefore do not spend the time to continue spreading awareness. Another key example of this is the ALS ice bucket challenge. People all around the world took to social media to dump cold water on their heads and then challenge others to do the same and to donate if they refused. The issue at hand was that those who participated in the challenge did not donate. Even though they are doing a social challenge to represent the cause, without supporting it with a donation means it did not directly benefit the cause at hand. With that being said, social media is built around weak ties; twitter is meant to be followed and Facebook is there to share (Gladwell, Week 8). The way to get people invested is by asking very little of them. Thus bringing us to how retweeting, liking and sharing has allowed for awareness to spread globally. Social networking is good for activists to get their message out but not good for an actual change to