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Small Change: Why The Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted

1674 Words7 Pages

Harley Phelps
T. Nelson
ENGL 1013(006)
30 April 2015
Adverse Affects of Technology Technology, by its definition is to be used to advance society and help move society in a forward direction. Though society does see many of the benefits of using technology, but such benefits are often outweighed when society abuses these tools. Social media and television, specifically, have become more disadvantageous because of such abuse. Both social media and television have had an adverse effect on society by demoting social activism, crippling face-to-face interaction, and inhibiting common skills due to the mass amount of time spent on such technologies. It is through technology that society has been able to grow into what it is today. Without such …show more content…

The impact of social activism has been demoted because societies view of what being a social activist is has been distorted. In his article, “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted” Malcolm Gladwell exposes this flaw. Social activism once meant standing on street corners rallying for a social change, now “liking” a post or “sharing” a movement’s page makes someone a social activist. People no longer feel they have to get out and make a change, they think they can rally a change from behind the screen of their phone or computer using social media. (Gladwell 314) Gladwell best concludes these ideas when he writes, “Where activists were once defined by their causes they are now defined by their tools” …show more content…

It is in societies best interest, that these forms of technology be used minimally to allow for socialization and common skills to continue to grow and be as efficient as possible. Technology is there to aid in this process, but social media and television are inhibiting the growth of society as individuals. If society continues to neglect the adverse effects technology is having, this effect will only further diminish society. It is a societal responsibility to ensure that the future usage of such tools remains such that these technologies remain a tool, not become a problem. If the use of technology is not abused, then society has much to gain from these tools and will continue growing in a positive direction.

Works Cited
Buskin, John. “Technology (A Special Report)—How Technology Has Changed the Way We
Watch TV—As the Television Changes, So Do We” The Wall Street Journal. November
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Gladwell, Malcolm. “ Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted” They
Say/ I Say With Readings. Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkensteing, Russel Durst.
New York: Norton, 2012. 312-328. Print.
Robinson, Thomas., Hammer, Lawrence., Wilson, Darrell., Killen, Joel., Kraemer, Helena.,
Hayward Chris., Taylor Barr. “Does Television Viewing

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