Beyond networked individualism and trivial pursuit : putting disruptive technologies to good use

Abstract

ln recent years, people with access to a computer and an internet connection have had the capability to deploy social media technologies to identify, mobilise and lead online tribes' and start to break down some of the barriers to more inclusive communities. This chapter argues that despite long-standing concerns about the digital divide, privacy and control, access to disruptive technologies by networked individuals offers an opportunity for the creation and distribution of information without mediation. Although online tribes may be more ephemeral and temporal than offline networks, they may also lead to activism beyond geographical confines, with new leaders empowered to raise their voice and engage with a sense of purpose, creating new stocks of social capital in the process.