Why Revolution will not be Tweeted

I really enjoyed this story from 1960, and I love how much of an impact the four young men were able to make without even using social media. However, I can't help but wonder how much FASTER their numbers would have multiplied or how much BIGGER of an impact they would have made.

This also presents a new question, though. Did the people who came and joined the movement care more about what was going on, when compared to people today who simply "retweet" a friend's post about a good cause, or simply "like" a page on Facebook? I don't know if I'm really making sense even, but I just think that without social media people probably were more full-hearted about supporting causes. After all, they actually had to show up at a movement or put forth some legitimate effort to show they support something, rather than simply clicking a button.

I think the power of social media is ever-growing, and as it grows it continues to shrink the world. For all I know someone thousands of miles away could be following my tweets or blog or whatever, but before social media, chances are I would have never been able to connect with someone so far away.

It Takes a Village to Find a Phone

It Takes a Village to Find a Phone begins with a woman named Ivanna, who left her Sidekick cellphone in a New York City cab. Much to her dismay, a great deal of important information such as contacts and the guest list for her upcoming wedding were stored on the phone. However, Ivanna’s situation differed from the typical story of lost cellphones that never get returned, thanks to her friend Evan. Evan, who is quite the “tech-savvy” guy, created a website that posted updates on the search for Ivanna’s phone. Eventually a reward was even offered for its return. 

This story is used to demonstrate the power of the Internet and social media today. The possibilities are basically endless of who can receive what information online. For example, I have no idea where readers of this blog may come from, just as Evan possibly didn’t realize the reach of his hunt. If Ivanna had used traditional methods of finding lost items (i.e. posters and flyers around town) her Sidekick’s fate more than likely would have ended differently. However, the convenience and flexibility of technology today lead us to believe that anything is possible.