Social Media - Clearer Wather in a Koi Pond

Recently, I read a book titled as International Communication Strategy. Yes. It is a BIG title. But I will not talk about the book. I brought this book up as I would like to mention one episode in the book.

The book briefly (really briefly) talks about how a political opposition group against the regime had 59 Facebook groups, in South Africa, yet they were not able to achieve their objectives for no particular reason.

Here is my question: What does the presence of 59 Facebook group mean????
My answer is "SOMETHING" but "NOTHING."

It is true that social media make a different grouping culture. As I just said, I would only say it is a new grouping culture. 

There are koi fish in the pond!
we simply cannot see what they are donig! 

As grouping is super easy when you are on social media networks, people tend to easily get grouped.

I think this can be explained by an analogy of a koi pond.

Before social media, the crowd was koi fish living in a pond with full of algae.

They were swimming around together, gathering in may different ways and sizes in the pond, but were not really visible from the outside of the pond. Also, the water might have not been clear enough for them to see each other very well.

Now, after the spread of social media, its like the water in the pond is clearer. We can see the koi fish doing all kinds of things in the water. Like this:

so... what does that mean? I would say there are several points we can think of:

1. we can easily find the interest groups that we may be joining
2. we can also see what other people are doing (if only you have enough time to do so lol)
3. at the same time, our enemies(?) can see what we are doing

Then why did I say this means "something but nothing"????

Because I think that what makes the koi fish jump out of the surface of the water has not changed yet; lack of oxygen, or food thrown by someone??

So... I just wanted to say that having more visibility on human's networking behavior and having a tool making it much easier is cool, but it doesn't necessary change the fundamental threshold of actual "movement."

There still has to be enough incentive for crowd to make them take actions...
Of course, unlike a fish pond, there also has to be a leader; someone who can organize and set a clear objective!

However, I do admit having higher transparency is a big change and this will leverage some fundamental changes in the long run. :) We will see how this would contribute to the society.

What do you think?? Now, LEAVE A COMMENT!!!!