They Say

 In an article from the October 4th, 2010 issue of The New Yorker titled "Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted," Malcom Gladwell argues that social media is not a tool to invoke any real sacrifice on the part of the average person.  He states that social media, namely Facebook and Twitter, is built on "weak ties" and is a means of gathering information and ideas from so-called "acquaintances" rather than actual friends with real connections to the person.  He illustrates his ideas by saying, "In other words, Facebook activism succeeds not by motivating people to make a real sacrifice but by motivating them to do the things that people do when they are not motivated enough to make a real sacrifice."  While he lists a couple notable examples to back up this claim, I say that social media has brought people together in ways that no other media and/or social outlet has been able to do in years before.  As a whole, people want to help those less fortunate, but often times they are not aware of others who may need their help.  But when someone posts something on the internet and generates interest and awareness of the issue, it is then shared among that person's friends and spreads to an even wider range of people, and those who care and want to fill that need respond.  This response may just be sending some much needed money or food to a family whose house had burned down, or it could be attending the funeral of a veteran who passed away but had no remaining family members or friends left to attend.  These small sacrifices make a big difference. 
In conclusion, Gladwell says that social media only motivates people who are unwilling to make a "real sacrifice," but I say that if that sacrifice, no matter how small, makes a difference in the lives of those people, then it is a real sacrifice.  The magnitude of the sacrifice does not quantify whether or not it is life-changing for the individual that is affected.  Before we we dismiss social media as simply a network built on weak ties that will not cause any notable amount of difference, as Gladwell insinuates, let us first acknowledge the many sacrifices that real people have made for someone they do not know because of social media.  Social media is a tool for real social change and can be an excellent asset for bringing communities together and creating stronger bonds among a wider variety of people.