Quotation (with page number or parag number or time stamp if video/audio)
“This is in many ways a wonderful thing. There is strength in weak ties, as the sociologist Mark Granovetter has observed. Our acquaintances-not our friends-are our greatest source of new ideas and information. The Internet lets us exploit the power of these kinds of distant connections with marvelous efficiency.”
Comment (250-500 words)
I like the way Gladwell talks about strength in having acquaintances as one of our most valuable sources of new information and new ideas. I believe that I get the most information and new ideas from browsing the internet or scrolling through social media so I can completely agree with this statement. Having close friends is important, but it does not help on the internet. The internet can be used as a way to rally people towards a common goal, or used to match a buyer and a seller, two people that don’t know each other are able to talk and make a sale or multiple people are able to talk about similar issues. The internet provides a way to connect worldwide, allowing people to share information and ideas that would otherwise have never been heard. The example of the sit-in, having no social media coverage like today’s social media is an interesting example. They used newspapers and other forms of communication to relay this information. Today something like this would be plastered on the internet, from news sources to social media posts.
Question
Give some ways of how weak ties are not as strong. How are they inhibiting social media?
