The Power of Social Networks (and Blogs) to Stimulate Social Change

A single blog by itself has very little influence. It's the communal element of blogging, enabled by features such as pingbacks, trackbacks, and just simple linking, that really makes blogging a powerful force.

The study of social networking has become extremely popular as blogging and message boards have become prominent elements of our web experience. I believe blogging is the enabling technology that will make loosly-tied social networks the predominant form of social change in the near future, replacing traditional civic organizations and lobby groups. Social networks (largely empowered by blogs and other CGM) have the potential to have much more influence than simply ruin Kryptonite locks' reputation--I believe they have the power to cause fundamental shifts in society and even overthrow governments.

Lately, I've been reading the book Urban Tribes by Ethan Watters. (I think it's required reading for anyone who wants to understand the changing nature of the urban 20 to 30-something young adult demographic.) In it, there's a segment that talks about the potential impact of loosely-tied social networks and makes the argument that it was the driving force behind the fall of the Berlin Wall and thus communism throughout Eastern Europe. There were no well-organized rebel movements because they were legally prohibited in those nations. The independence movements spread largely by word-of-mouth through people who weren't close friends but somehow were connected to each other.

We can see the influence of social networks had even before the age of the Internet. Blogging has empowered social networking in a way that can encourage the spread of ideas in a split second (or however fast your internet connection is).

Use your blog to communicate your ideas on how to make this world a better place. Increase the size of your social network by engaging in conversations on other blogs and use trackbacks and linking as much as possible (without being obnoxious of course). :) I think we'll see this having a much greater impact than anyone would have ever expected.