Activism is defined as the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change. These days people use social media as a platform of spreading awareness and creating change. Some people may argue that activism today should not be considered activism when considering what people of the past went through in order to support change and stand their ground. From sit-ins to rallies and protests, people took charge to fight for what they believed while people today simply sign a petition online and call it a “movement.” Malcolm Gladwell’s essay “Small Change” discusses the contrast of today’s activism versus the past. In a similar way, Sherry Turkle talks about online conflicts in her essay “The Empathy Diaries”. Activism these days is not the true meaning of activism, but is merely a way to gain attention or attempt to make change without having to go out of one’s way.

The execution of old activism has gone out the window and has turned to signing anonymous petitions. These petitions are shared through various social media platforms, but the real question is: Are they effective? Gladwell brings up the term “strong-tie phenomena” (Gladwell 6), and “weak-tie phenomena” (Gladwell 7). This strong-tie refers to the thought that old activism was achieved through word of mouth and the more friends that an individual had within the cause, the more likely they were to join in on the movement. Meanwhile, weak-ties refers to today’s era of activism. This is where everything is spread through a post on social media between acquaintances. In this he is claiming that there is a vast difference between old ways of activism and the new ways. He believes that this “weak-tie phenomena” can lead to “high risk activism” (Gladwell 7). I believe this to only be partially true, for although more people will gain the knowledge of the issue, it is greatly possible that individuals will scroll past without a second thought. However, due to the fact that almost everything online can be anonymous or someone is hidden behind a screen, this could lead to harsher arguments. Turkle provides an interesting perspective on online disputes. She says, “…I hear families say they air their differences on email to avoid face-to-face conflict.” This has become normal these days. People would rather hide behind a screen and argue rather than settling something in person. This is the same situation for activism. Many would prefer to hide behind a screen to fight, than stand up and make their points in person.