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The world is seeing an increase in the use of social media as a tool for mobilisation and protest The so-called ‘Twitter revolution,’ a term used to describe the role of sites like Twitter in effecting change, has come to the forefront of discussion as popular uprisings sweep the Middle East Former US national security advisor Mark Pfeifle even went so far as to call for the social networking site to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize   After the recent blackout of all digital communications in Egypt, Twitter saw a surge of thousands of users relying on proxy servers to post live news updates to the world When Tunisian dictator Ben Ali fled government after 23 years in power, Twitter was there to give users a direct insight into events  Such sites, which disseminate information quickly, can be an essential tool in activism – they give the world an up-to-date and uncensored view of opinions and events, particularly those the mainstream media chooses to ignore But can there really be such a thing as a ‘Twitter revolution’?   Malcolm Gladwell in The New Yorker cites the civil rights unrest in America in the Sixties as evidence of the success of a movement without social media With sites like Twitter, he says, we are told that ‘the traditional relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended’, making it easier for people to voice their concerns The majority of people tweeting about movements are not, however, at the focal point of discussions Does this make a difference? In Egypt, for example, only 25% of the population have access to the internet  Does this not make Twitter merely a means through which western commentators can, in an abstract and non-attached way, feel tied to a movement? And does this tie to a cause define ‘activism’, or is it another case of the bourgeoisie thriving on novelty?   For Gladwell, activism is defined by ‘strong ties’ to others involved in a cause, rather than any weak ideological commitment This kind of attachment to a cause through personal relationships is less likely to occur through the impersonal