Advancing Information And Communication Technology

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Introduction
The advancing information and communication technology account for the breaking or geographical barriers towards integration of global society. It is for the same reason that the world is commonly referred to as a global village upon which people from different continents can interact or rather pass information from one end to the other with ease. Nevertheless, the traditional means of communication succeeded in achieving their desired effect towards addressing social issues. Such was the case for the civil rights movement in the 1960s where masses met in large numbers to champion for equal rights and justice for all irrespective of color or race. The same attributes have lately been awarded to movements organized through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter for the same reason of initiating social change. The platforms or channels of communication used in both cases sought to effect social change and thus representing what is commonly referred to as activism. How effective either of the two channels are for the purpose of activism raises different point of views and opinions from members of the global society. Jelani Cobb’s article The Matter of Black Lives, for instance, highlights the changes witnessed in the current form of activism due to the advanced media technology, which appears to be different from activism in the 1960s and beyond. Another renowned writer for The New Yorker presents an article pointing out at the shortcomings of the current form of activism through social media platforms. The two articles provide the basis for the discussion provided herein on the effectiveness or lack thereof of media technology in activism or rather in the promotion of social change.
The current social media activism lacks the threshold to initiate social changes that challenge the status quo by addressing the deeply rooted problems in society (Gladwell, pg. 5). Activism through advanced media technology or the wide range of social media platforms only serves to effect short-term changes in society. According to Gladwell, promoting social change requires the formation of a strong network of people who have a connection to the social issue or problem facing society. The form of activism that led to the end of racial segregation in the United States built around the formation of strong bonds or ties among the individuals who participated in the protests or demonstrations. Such was the case for the Greensboro lunch counter sit-in at Woolworth by four freshmen from A. & T. whose action sparked similar protests across different parts in the United States (Gladwell, pg. 1). The students David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, and Joseph McNeil shared strong ties from the fact that they all connected to the problem of racial discrimination as victims and further shared in the risk of staging such insubordination to the existing status quo. Staging such a protest at the time would have met ruthless force from the White supremacists including fatal incidences of murder as well as suffering the brute of the discriminatory laws and serve prison time. The Mississippi Freedom Summer Project that took place in 1964 was also charact...