How Is This Visible In Both Gopnik’s, And Gladwell’s Essays?

Digital Communication
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Digital Communication
In the age of social media people are able to form a lot of connections across the globe, but are they really connected? Technology is now ubiquitous and every other areas of the people’s lives interacts with the new digital and bold world. It has brought on a rather interesting shift in the way that people are able to interact with one another over extended distances. One can communicate with anyone across the globe relative to only the limitation of their internet speeds and access to devices that can access the internet. This is a marvel of fits and one that redefines the reach that people have when they want to communicate to others on their networks in an instant and little to no limitation to the number of people, depending on the platforms. This is a rather momentous shift from the traditional means of communication. Using social media platforms such as twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram or even telegram, one is able to send out a message to their friends and followers and from there, there is no almost no limit to the number of people it can reach in a single minute (Gladwell, 2010). This compared to the fact that most of the traditional means used to take days is a rather astounding change. However there are limit to the impact and application of the modern means of communication and in this specifically to the social media platforms. The social media platforms form a formidable and a very progressive channel for social change and will go on into the future as so, however there are the tradition barebones that have to be applied to effect some of these changes.
Social media has allowed people to be in touch with members of their families, friends and even acquaintances that they would never have the chance to interact with as often as they would like (Gopnik, 2002). It is a platform that allows one to send that simple message of wishing a loved one to have a good week without really having to spend as much time as they would on the traditional platforms. These require preparations and they use massive resources to schedule and communicate with another member of the family. With the social media platforms, one has the ability to be in constant communication with s siblings that is abroad without having the challenge of running into connection problems or expensive phone call bills. Messages are instant and even video calls do not take much effort as long as the connections are strong enough. In the article, Bumping into Mr. Ravioli, Adam is trying to reach his sister to get her professional opinion on his daughter Olivia but has to make several attempts to reach her and have a normal conversation, between California and New York (Gopnik, 2002). With the use of internet this would have been instant. Sending a message on social media would have taken seconds to get to the sister as far as she was online. However it slao presents the challenge of people using this as a scapegoat as they are always busy. ‘ “I always get his machine,” she says. Or she will say, “I spoke to Ravioli today.” “Did you have fun?” my wife and I ask. “No. He was busy working. On a television” ’ (Gopnik, 2002). This is an approach that is quite common where people never commit to investing in their relationships. In the political arena digital media has been quite influential, especially with the advent of social media. Using the social media platforms, it is now possible for social reforms to be effected. Activists are able to amass support across the globe for their course and even get the international bodies and media houses involved to pile pressure on the sitting government for change (Gladwell, 2010). ‘A quarter of those in the program dropped out. Activism that challenges the status quo—that attacks deeply rooted problems—is not for the faint of heart’ (Gladwell, 2010). As such, this is a process that requires serious commitment, unlike is the case with most social media users.as seen in the case of civil rights movement, social change involves real anger of even death. The most ironic element of these kind political movements and influence create on the social media is that most of the people do not even have to leave the comfort of their couch at home or seat at the office or even the conform of a classroom. One simply joins the petition and they are able to create an effect such as the fever described by Gladwell in the piece, Small Change (Gladwell, 2010).
However there is the challenge associated with political activities that require the people to be involved in highly s...