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Trevon James
Dr. Reid
English 101
29, September 2015
Position Paper
What is something that can be defined as revolutionary, and what does it mean to
revolutionize? To revolutionize means to change something radically and fundamentally. The
question posed is this; has social media revolutionized activism. It has not, and it hasnt for
several reasons. Malcolm Gladwell challenges the reader to raise awareness to the question; what
is activism? Activism according to Gladwell is going out and making a change that involves a
great risk to ones self, and expresses ardent desire for change to a current system. If there is a
peaceful battle to fight out in the world social media is not needed to find it, rather it is only
needed to support it. Those who hashtag and like a post are not activists, these people are simply
spreading a message. Look at the situation this way, the newspaper editor writing an opinionated
column on the sit ins that is favor of those students bravery isn't an activist that editor is nothing
more than a supporter.
Gladwell sums up the argument posed in one heap. The author says very clear that, these
events in the early sixties became a civil-rights war that engulfed the South for the rest of the
decade and it happened without e-mail, texting, Facebook, or twitter. (Gladwell 2). Simply put;
if a cause is just enough it doesn't need a hashtag in front of it to be deemed worth fighting for.
Often times on social media everyone has something to say. The correct message is lost in the
midst of posts, pictures, and scattered views. People like Dr. King had a voice that was heard

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because his message was valid and implemented a change for the better. A message like that
could be out there, but it could be easily lost among the landfill of messages spread in todays
world.
Social media helps spur change. With that said, people must understand that it does not
risk anything, it does not physically go out and take a stand, and it does not change the minds of
or views of those in charge. The people that do this are the activist. The people that hashtag the
message being pushed by said activists, are the supporters. Support is great, support can inspire
an activist to go out and organize an event correctly, but support is not activism, social media is
not activism, social media is the inspiration to the activist. Raising money or awareness for
something is great to do and those that do it have the biggest of hearts, however that too is only
support. Todays society must understand that social media itself can implement and push people
to help, but it does not change the status quo. It can save lives, it can make a person brave
enough to stand up, but it does not risk anything, nor does it go out and demand change in a
peaceful organized fashion.

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Work Cited
Malcolm Gladwell - Small Change