I- Penn state protests joe paternos firing

As I write this on the steps of old main, I can't help but to think of all the media and social networking that enabled such a gathering so suddenly. I first found out that espn would be showing the board of trustees press conference from my roommates text she got. I then texted my boyfriend and my parents. I then watched it; disgusted, my room mates and I were speechless. Soon after the media covered the press conference, along with twitter, facebook statuses, texts, and calls from friends protests and riots started. Could such an event have been possible if this kind of mass convergence could only be heard about through word of mouth, like in abe lincolns day? I think not. Social media today is such an immediate spread of knowledge; so I pose this question to you....in the case of mass convergences, is social media and instantaneous connectivity among peers a force for good or bad?