Social Change in the Era of the Information Society

Social change seems to be spreading these days, and the characteristics of an information society are helping it to do so. In an information society, people can share information and make plans more easily. These traits are spurring ideas for social change and helping to make it possible.

What Is an Information Society?

An information society is a term used to describe a society that highly values the creation and distribution of knowledge and information. Developing information can help to drive an economy and give nations a competitive edge internationally, as a nation develops the ability to compute, store, and communicate information. Information technology is both a cultural and a political value. It includes both internet activity and other work that is not focused on material goods. Information society is thought to be a new stage in societal development, considered to follow the industrial society. For this reason, it’s sometimes also called the post-industrial society.

How Does an Information Society Relate to Social Change?

The characteristics of an information society facilitate social change in a couple of ways. Cultures that value information tend to value spreading that information to everyone. The spread of knowledge often corresponds to spreading human rights. Basic human freedoms, such as the freedom of expression and access to education, help more people to access, share, and create information. As more people can access and understand information, they can continue contributing to society. Therefore, people in information societies usually want to create social change that will grant more rights and freedoms to everyone. 

UNESCO, for example, has asserted a goal to “narrow the digital divide that accentuates disparities in development, excluding entire groups and countries from the benefits of information and knowledge.” (1)
The technology and communication within an information society also make organizing social change easier. Increased access to information helps to spread new ideas. It also facilitates planning and communication. People around the world can share ideas, plan events, and even gather funding. All of these factors make social change easier and help it to happen on a larger scale.

Grassroots Activism in an Information Society

An information society makes it easier for a new kind of activism to be successful. In previous decades, social change often depended on a strong and charismatic leader. Today, social change that is driven by many individuals, with or without a central leader, can take place. Grassroots activism is a kind of activism that starts at the bottom, among everyday people who are devoted to change. In an information society, more people are likely to become activists. People can also communicate more easily, building roots into trunks and branches that create substantial change.

Social Media and Social Change

Social media, a prominent tool in an information society, has been a central part of many important causes and instances of social change. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter spread news, connect people around the world, and enable activists to recruit their friends in an ever-expanding network around the world. Nowadays, we can use even more innovative social media, such as Steemit.

 There are a couple of famous incidents when social media helped to create positive change. When an earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, over 200,000 people died, and many more were left without homes or livelihoods. Organizations and individuals rallied through social media to raise money for aid. In fact, the American Red Cross raised about $7 million in just one day. Many people made donations through their phones. Social media helped bring millions of dollars of aid to the people of Haiti. Another well-known example of the power of social media to create social change is the Kony 2012 campaign. 

Prior to the campaign, Joseph Kony was relatively unknown. Following a massive social media campaign, millions of people shared information about Kony, decrying his war crimes, and in particular his use of children as child soldiers in Uganda. Although Kony has still not been captured, he has been forced to go underground and is no longer openly operating in Uganda. 

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is a more recent example, taking place over the summer of 2014, which raised money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. Millions of people dumped buckets of ice water on their head, and many donated money to the ALS Association. In addition to raising money, the campaign generated much more awareness about ALS.Some people have criticized social media for creating trends, claiming that people stop caring about a topic once the trend is over. It is undeniable, however, that social media has the power to generate immense attention and change, even it is sometimes for short periods. Social media allows individuals to draw in their friends and family, allowing a movement to grow exponentially. Whether a cause needs participants, awareness, or money, social media can help to create change.

Social change in an information society does not necessarily look the same as social change did 50 years ago. Social change still involves non-profit organizations, protests, marches, and legal acts. Today, however, many of these things are organized using new technology. The more people have access to and know how to use information, the more they can enact positive social change.

Sources

Dutton, William. “Social Transformation in an Information Society: Rethinking Access to You and the World.” UNESCO, 2004. http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/file_download.php/7364b6dd37bccc23a9038e48cb7f956dcorpus-1-144.pdf

Garst, Kim. “Social Media as a Catalyst for Social Change.” The Huffington Post, 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-garst/social-media-as-a-catalys_b_3197544.html

This post was originally posted on feed for our insiders at The Biggest Idea.