But it gets worse. Gladwell’s argument, as I read it, isn’t simply the observation that Web 2.0 is ill suited for social activism. The real worry is that Web 2.0 creates an illusion of activism. That is, real world activism is being traded in for a virtual activism. And the dual meanings of the word “virtual” are in play here: An online activism that is, at root, unreal, a mere simulation of activism. Web 2.0 creates the illusion that you are “doing something” when, in fact, you are not. In this view, Web 2.0 might not be the Golden Age of Activism. It might, in fact, herald the beginning of the Dark Ages.

Excerpt of a blog post by Richard Beck who is commenting on Malcolm Gladwel’s article in the New Yorker. Go read them both.

Photograph by thaerphotography

Tags:activismMalcom GladwellRichard Becksocial mediatwitterWeb 2-0