Spencer Sherck

English Comp. 110

Jesse Miller

Due: 12-5-23

Activism, a term rooted in the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to effect political or social change, has undergone a huge evolution in the contemporary era marked by the digital age of technology and the shadow of social media. This transformative shift has redefined the landscape of advocacy, providing activists with many avenues to change information, mobilize support, and propel transformative movements on a global scale. In the digital age, where information travels at the speed of light, the essence of activism has gone way beyond the traditional boundaries. Social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others, serve as dynamic arenas where activists can instantaneously broadcast their messages to a vast and diverse audience. This instantaneous global reach not only fosters a sense of immediacy but also enables activists to forge connections with like-minded individuals and communities across continents, amplifying the impact of their causes. Malcolm Gladwell gives us a deeper insight to this in his essay named, “Small Change” Gladwell talks about the relationships between social media and social activism. He insists that social activism needs strong connections rather than weak networking. In his essay, “In Defense Of Distraction” he explores the influence of modern technology, especially on the younger generation, highlighting the unique skills and adaptability of “digital natives” while also raising concerns about the potential negative effects on their cognitive and 

social development. He also talks about the significant topics of growing up in a world where technology is ever-present, from the way they communicate to the skills they acquire, and the potential shifts in their cognitive processes and attention spans. 

Anderson talked about the next generation and what technology is going to do to them and what is going to happen long term. I think that he is right in what he is talking about because you can start to see this in our generation now. He says, “Which brings me, finally, to the next generation of attenders, the so-called “net-gen” or “digital natives,” kids who’ve grown up with the Internet and other time-slicing technologies. There’s been lots of hand-wringing about all the skills they might lack, mainly the ability to concentrate on a complex task from beginning to end, but surely they can already do things their elders can’t like conduct 34 conversations simultaneously across six different media, or pay attention to switching between attentional targets in a way that’s been considered impossible. More than any other organ, the brain is designed to change based on experience, a feature called neuroplasticity.” Here, there is a great deal of room for activism because of the recognition that these problems exist. Even with increased awareness, there hasn’t been much progress in tackling these issues head-on. Although some people have worked very hard to address the issues related to excessive smartphone use, it appears that a thorough and effective strategy is missing.

The introduction of social media and rapid technology breakthroughs has caused a significant shift in the fabric of human contact. Traditional ways of communication, which were once dependent on physical proximity, have given way to a virtual world in which interactions are formed and sustained via the digital ether. The influence goes beyond the methods of engagement; it has profoundly changed who, how, and why people connect. On social media you can meet all kinds of people from all over the place and not fully get to know them. Most people can seem like a different person over the phone and then meet them in person and be totally stunned. I like where Malcolm Gladwell says,  “That’s why you can have a thousand “friends” on Facebook, as you never could in real life.” He argues that you can connect and interact with a lot more people on social media than you ever could in real life. This goes back to having “friends” that you really know well and having “acquaintances”. While social media provides a sense of connection, the depth of understanding often remains superficial, raising essential questions about the nature of our digital relationships. I dont think anybody has even noticed this yet. Again this leaves lots of room for someone to come out and talk about it and bring attention to it. But I don’t think anything will change because everything now for kids is over social media. Even if somebody brings attention to it, it doesn’t mean kids will even understand that it’s actually happening to them. 

Something that has been talked about but hasn’t been acted on enough is being distracted. No matter what we are doing there usually is something else that we are thinking about or even doing. This immediately makes me think about Sam Anderson’s essay “In Defense Of Distraction”. We are all addicted to our phones and the social media on them, But nobody wants to admit that. Someone needs to take the initiative to go out and speak about it and try and do something about it. You can see this in schools but i think some else needs to change but i don’t know what. There have been efforts made but they havent been popular and caught on. The first thing Anderson talks about in his essay is having you go look at all your social medias to try and get the distractions out of the way. Anderson states, “I’m going to pause here, right at the beginning of my riveting article about attention, and ask you to please get all of your precious 21st-century distractions out of your system now.” I think this is important as a writer to have the readers full attention when reading your piece so they fully understand what they read. Bringing attention to being distracted is very important though because you don’t realize it until someone else brings it up or until it’s too late. This is so important because it is all up to someone bringing it up and taking the initiative. The first step to solving a problem is addressing the problem so admitting your distracted or realizing it is a big step in the right direction. 

Finally, the evolution of activism in the digital age, along with the pervasive influence of social media and rapid technological advancements, has reshaped the landscape of human interaction, bringing with it both opportunities and challenges. The power of social media to connect activists with a global audience and mobilize support is unimaginable, but the sheer shallowness of these digital connections raises concerns about the depth of understanding in our digital relationships.

Work Cited

Anderson, Sam. “In Defense of Distraction”. The Best Technology Writing 2010, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010, pp. 186-205. https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300165654-015 

Gladwell, Malcolm. “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted.” The New Yorker, 27 Sept. 2010,  www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/10/04/small-change-malcolm-gladwell.