The article in the url below asks an important question:
"Does it turn out that social media is better at breaking things than at making things?"
In the article, Thomas Friedman answers that question by summarizing a TED Talk by the Google employee who helped launch the revolution in Egypt, Wael Ghonim. Following his experiences, both during the revolution and in its aftermath, Ghonim has drawn five conclusions about the general effects social media is having on online social interactions:
"'First, we don't know how to deal with rumors.' … Second, 'We tend to only communicate with people that we agree with.' … Third, online discussions quickly descend into angry mobs. … 'fourth, it became really hard to change our opinions.' … Fifth, and most crucial, he said, 'today, our social media experiences are designed in a way that favors broadcasting over engagements, posts over discussions, shallow comments over deep conversations.'"
As a result:
"'Five years ago,' concluded Ghonim, 'I said, 'If you want to liberate society, all you need is the Internet.' Today I believe if we want to liberate society, we first need to liberate the Internet.'"
Have a good weekend
David
David Chandler & Bill Werther
Instructor Teaching and Student Study Site: http://www.sagepub.com/chandler3e/
Strategic CSR Simulation: http://www.strategiccsrsim.com/
The library of CSR Newsletters are archived at: http://strategiccsr-sage.blogspot.com/
Social Media: Destroyer or Creator?
By Thomas L Friedman
February 3, 2016
The New York Times
Late Edition – Final
A23
