A great debate is taking place in Cre8asiteforums on social media, social networking, human behavior, societal change and whether “awareness” is mistaken for actual change.”

Ruud Hein starts off the Opinion: Media, Social Or Not, Does Not Cause Change by referring to how the latest Iranian political situation is being communicated “live” via Twitter.

Some of the discussion:

I repeated a story I’d heard on the news about an elderly couple who were spending the night on their roof when the quakes started. They struggled to hold hands and keep from being separated as their building pancaked, but after the quake the husband was left to tell the tale and the wife had slipped out of his grasp and been swallowed by rubble. I told him it brought tears to my eyes.

Then, he repeated, a few times, “you cried for us?” And eventually, “you will think of us?” And later “thank you.”

The Internet changes things, maybe not in the sense of issues, but I sincerely believe that issues can soften as we see each other as more human.

I believe that radio and television were the very beginnings of change, whether or not we realize it.

I do believe that media causes change on a larger scale. I can only imagine how Woodstock would have played out if Twitter was around then. Someone would tweet “fences are down!” and that would be it.

Media, social or not, does not cause the change.

You make the point well when you mention the Tianamern Square incident. Lots of sympathetic feelings but no change.

Related resource: The Impact Of The Internet On Human Behavior

and thread – Sm Marketing Is Different, One must cede control to gain the most