Social media has become somewhat of a powerhouse when it comes to spreading information faster and further than any other media including television.
Whilst television may appear in billions of homes around the world, its impact is generally only for the period of a broadcast. The internet is more permanent allowing individuals to return to the same data as often as they wish. Furthermore, they can interact with others from around the world, adding their own views and experiences to the original information – a feature missing from television.
Due to the potential viral effect of social media, many minorities are starting to encompass the power to promote their causes. Green groups have been aware of the potential for a long time. Politicians are now using social media to spread their word, and to spread dis-information related to their opponents.
The question is, does web 2.0 and social media empower minorities, or does it provide a media that they can abuse to spread their word including possible derogatory stories related to those they oppose. There is little regulation relating to the online world – a situation that many would prefer to maintain. A previous post here titled Social Networking: Who Are You Really Talking To? looked briefly at some of these issues.
The door is wide open for vested interests to attempt to cause harm to those they oppose, often with total impunity. It will be interesting to see if the internet itself can mature to a point that users can ignore vested interests and their damaging campaigns. There have been many lawsuits to date, some successful, claiming damages caused by these campaigns.
The advent of web 2.0 and social media has provided minority groups with a vehicle that can be used to great advantage to promote their causes. The future is in their hands, they can take the opportunity it provides to empower their causes, or they do long term damage to their own causes by abusing social media and everything it has to offer.
