Post 5: Political & Social Activism

This week we covered a topic that I don't like to cover. Politics is a crazy thing and there are many aspects to it and it can be confusing and overwhelming. I try my best to stay as informed on issues as possible but with so much information coming from everywhere it's hard to take it all in. Not to mention how to sort out the biased information from right and left winged followers and media sources. Needless to say this writing activity was tough and it took me forever to complete my assignment because I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to say or discuss. Blah.

Thurlow, Lengel, and Tomic discuss how CMC effects offers opportunities to view current issues from different perspectives, offers organizations a chance to promote and support their ideals and beliefs, offers cyber activists new stages to offer change, offers people to connect with others in 'politically charged situations' (2004). Computer mediated communication offers a wide range of opportunities in every aspect and this weeks material helps support the theory of technological determinism. The theory of technological determinism basically states that the advent and characteristics of new technology effects the 'development and set[s] the conditions for social change' (Barnes, 2003). The advent of blogs, email, and social networking sites have changed how we all communicate and transfer information to one another and they have changed the way activists, politicians, and regular people do things now a days. Back in the day if you wanted to be a part of the civil rights movement and participate in a march you'd have to network and find out how to get involved, you'd call someone or perhaps you'd stumble upon a flyer. It seems like you'd have to put a lot of work into getting involved and taking action. Now a days you can just search for a groups with your interests online, then you can click on their link and get information on how to "take action". I believe this has changed how activists promote themselves and more than likely they are larger in numbers and more closely connected because of such advanced technology. As long as you have advances in technology that can affect how organizations form and maintain themselves, then you will always have at least one large supporter of the technological determinism theory.

Barnes, S. B. (2003). Computer-mediated communication: human-to-human communication across the internet. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Thurlow, C., Lengel, L., & Tomic, A. (2004). Computer-mediated communication: social interaction and the internet. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.