Malcolm Gladwell and Dennis Baron both agreed on how the use
of social media can help create history. Baron stated, “It is possible that
without Facebook and Twitter, Honsi Mubarak might still be holed up in the
Presidential Palace, planning free and fair one-party elections in September.”
According to Gladwell, “With Facebook and Twitter and the like, the traditional
relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended,
making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate, and give voice
to their concerns.” Even though social network may provide a platform for
citizens to voice out their opinions and to organize, and to help publicize
their upcoming activities, but according to Gladwell and Baron, there are a few
drawbacks in using social networks.
From Baron’s perspective, the disadvantage with social media
is censorship. Coming from a communist country that was once a British Colony,
Hong Kong, and living in Canada, it allows me to understand both sides of the
world. In July 2012, there was a rally against the National Education course
being taught in grade school in Hong Kong. Parents, students, and a few
politicians argued that this course is a merely a tool to help the Chinese
government brainwash Hong Kong children in believing that China has the best
government and communism is the best form of governing their citizens. An
activist group called Scholarism created a Facebook page and organized a strike
through it. On July 2012, according to the organizers, more than 90000
protestors participated in the hunger strike. The course program was eventually
withdrawn from the curriculum. Had China wanted to pass on this curriculum,
this would never had happened; Facebook is blocked in China, all medias are
censored, so it will be hard for people to communicate through social network.
On the other hand, the government could have been able to use social network to
brainwash students and parents on how it is in fact beneficial to take that
course. Lets take Tiananmen Square as an example. I have talked to a few
friends from China who just came to Canada not long ago. They have never heard
of what happened at Tiananmen Square, and they think that Chairman Mao is their
hero. This is the dark side of media; if not used properly, it can be used as a
source for controlling citizens.
From Gladwell’s point of view, one of the disadvantages of
social media is its lack of hierarchy. Everyone who has joined the Facebook
page can easily comment or contribute to the event. There is no authority, and
no individual who specializes in a particular component. If there were to be
conflict within the group, there is no one individual who will be able to step
up and make decisions, and this would be a huge problem if they are organizing
a more complex event.
The second disadvantage that Gladwell started was people
within a Facebook or Twitter group have not physically met each other; they do
not know whom they are working with so they have weak bonds between one
another. Groups like that are more prone to outside pressure, since they are
not personally attached to each other and the only thing holding them together
is that single common goal; They are more likely to sell their people out when
necessary.
To summarize, social network is useful when trying to create
something not complicated and low risk. Organizing a strike for example is
fairly simple, all they have to do it to announce the date, time, and place.
When developing a plan on the other hand, should be done within organizations
that are not formed from just social networks.
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