Infinite Path

The news that an American student who has been ordered to pay a fine of over £400,000 for sharing music online has refused financial help from generous supporters of his cause has shed new light on the manner in which social media allows users to translate good intentions or passion for worthy causes into immediate, practical (and often extremely effective) help.

Joel Tenenbaum, a student at Boston University,  was found guilty of downloading and distributing digital files of thirty songs online and, ever since he was found guilty, he has attracted growing support from those who question the justice of his particular case.

These supporters have been able to turn their cynicism over Tenenbaum’s fine into practical help by donating money directly to the student. Twitter and several influential blogs have been invaluable tools in this crusade, even though Tenenbaum has refused to accept any more financial support, stating that “I ask no one to help me [...] I shared music. I was the one who wanted a say in court. This lawsuit was against me. This is my verdict”.

For those who feel strongly about a particular issue, social media platforms such as Twitter provide an instant means through which to take action. This became all too evident last month when Dave Carroll created a video in which he sang a song lamenting his treatment at the hands of United Airlines. Baggage handlers for the airline broke Mr Carroll’s guitar and the airline refused to acknowledge his subsequent requests for compensation.

After weeks of growing increasingly frustrated with United, Carroll decided to take his plight online and the rest, as they say, is history. The video received millions of hits and the disgruntled singer’s band has since appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Best of all for Carroll, two Taylor guitars were sent his way by maker Bob Taylor whilst the shamed airline wrote a hefty cheque for the Thelonius Institute, a charity formed in support of jazz music.

Both Dave Carroll and supporters of Joel Tenenbaum found social media an invaluable weapon in their quest to bring about change and turn their grievances and feelings into practical messages which really are capable of making a difference in the wider world.