Connecting Marginalized Voices

How did friends, relatives, rescue workers, and relief organizations make connections in the wake of Hurricane Sandy? How did revolts in Tunisia and Egypt so quickly escalate to thousands of citizens in the streets, eventually resulting in their governments toppling despite efforts to squelch Internet access and limit news media coverage? And how do fans of quirky shows, people dealing with rare illnesses, and individuals seeking specific goals even find each other? The use of the Web, e-mail, texting, and social networking (in combination with traditional modes of communication) allow groups that would not get much media coverage or whose members are not centralized geographically to better connect, provide alternative sources of information, and spread the word about their causes. They may also build social capital, which refers to the valuable resources (such as information and support) that come from having connections and relationships among people (Williams, 2006). Social networking via Facebook in particular has been shown to increase the strength of what would otherwise be weak ties among acquaintances or friends who have moved to different geographic locations (Ellison, Steinfeld, & Lampe, 2007). Although there are some groups or individuals with whom we would probably rather not have such connectedness—such as hate groups, terrorists, and sexual predators—remember that open access means facilitating the participation of many different voices, not just the ones we like.