We must learn to welcome and not fear the voices of dissent. (Fulbright)

Malcolm Gladwell is speaking at UTC tomorrow evening here in Chattanooga.  I'm excited! I first heard of him four years ago - the speaker at our graduation ceremony quoted some ideas from Gladwell's book, Blink. Since then, I have read Tipping Point and have the other two on my list (Outliers is the third).

The way I understand him, Gladwell is an economist who studies trends. Only he doesn't study economic trends (he touches on them), but I would categorize his as "social" trends.  So naturally social media came up this week in an article he wrote for The New Yorker.  Summed up, he says:
Facebook is an emotional support because it's easy and removed, but people are reluctant to do more than "thumbs up" a cause or group.


Social media has no hierarchy, no controlling structure; it's herd mentality at best. How much long-term success can a stampede of information bring about?


Gladwell concludes:
"It makes it easier for activists to express themselves, and harder for that expression to have any impact. The instruments of social media are well suited to making the existing social order more efficient. They are not a natural enemy of the status quo. If you are of the opinion that all the world needs is a little buffing around the edges, this should not trouble you. But if you think that there are still lunch counters out there that need integrating it ought to give you pause."

Read more at The New Yorker.com.


I'm looking forward to hearing Gladwell speak.  It's refreshing to hear a logical, no-nonsense approach to trending ideas these days.