In this day of age, the technological developments in communications contributes to an increase in power and influence people can have. You can find many uploads on Youtube on police brutality for example. Some videos have led to serious cases, endangering the positions of the involved officers. Also, the revolts in Egypt were organized through new mobile cell phone techonologies.
But is it just the technological advantages? Can you create a hype just by uploading a video? The answer is no. You need to involve your network and have people within your network trying to engage their network for your case (or cause). Then together you can achieve something.
So the power of cell phones is not the cell phone itself. It is just a tool. It’s your network (read: contact list) that can start a buzz. But you have to know how to engage with your network. Know what tickles them and how you can get them to spread your news. And then, you are viral and you have achieved your goal.
What we can say, is that the current level of technological developments in communications, contributes to an increase in potentional regarding personal power: it’s so much easier these days to reach a large group of people.
Jim Luce wrote a blog about the impact of cell phones on psychology, community, culture, arts and economics (the blog has the same title). In this blog, you can find examples of how you can fully use your network for reaching certain goals, through your cellphone:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-luce/the-impact-of-cell-phones_b_508011.html
