Gladwell firmly believes that activism was viewed in a very different way before technology took over the world. In the 1960s, protests and boycotts spread rapidly, but usually only among friends. Today, thanks to social media, information spreads to thousands of people in seconds. Gladwell believes that traditional activism formed strong bonds while today's movements and protests form weak bonds because of social media. People are motivated when they have close friends with them in a movement, not just through a text message. As Gladwell states, “where activists were once defined by their causes, they are now defined by their tools.” (Gladwell 408) Gladwell believes that these tools cannot really help a social activism movement, but he recognizes the speed of social media networks. But without news and social media, how will information spread? Anything posted on the Internet can be broadcast to a large audience in seconds. Gladwell writes: “Social networks are effective in increasing participation by decreasing the level of motivation required for participation.” (Gladwell 408) Gladwell makes a good point, but how can motivation ever exist without people receiving information? However social media has many flaws, but with other tools