A group of researchers in the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University led by Professor BJ Fogg has been systematically studying the theory and the design of how the computing technology can be used to alter people’s behavior or thinking. They coined the term captology which is taken from the first letters of Computers As Persuasive Technology and then added “ology” which means a field of study. That which causes the change whether by design or unintentionally, they called the change agent.

There are many reasons behind the movement of change agents. These are the change agent factors. One is that which is propelled by the desire to develop better methods or tools. The drive to change may come from the outside in, as a response or a result of situations or circumstances the agent finds himself in. It may also come from the inside out, like a person’s inner desires or aspirations.

Change agents are not limited to people. Technology itself is another change agent factor. Have you noticed how technology has evolved? It’s like a cell that divides and multiplies by itself. The computer has somewhat taken time to develop and grow but the introduction of the worldwide web has literally caused a mega explosion that has reached every nook and cranny of our society. Computing software has virtually invaded our personal and social lives in ways that have been never been dreamed of by anyone. In the online world, just look at how invasive Twitter and Facebook have become in our everyday lives.

Computing technology and persuasion has overlapped and it has produced wave upon wave upon wave of change. Social networking has given a voice to millions of people all over the globe. Boundaries have been broken as people speak up on issues that do not physically affect them in a direct manner. What’s staggering is we don’t even have to wait days before the wave reaches the opposite poles, everything is happening real time. This phenomenon has been growing exponentially and we haven’t even began tracking its effects enough to be able to predict how it will impact our future.

Change will eventually reach what is called the tipping point, when what was previously unique becomes common. The tipping points of many changes are now being reached in great speed as social computing tools continue to be developed. Once the computing tool is set, change seems to be self-perpetuating and progressing geometrically, as some social networks are now discovering. Leading the pack is Linkedin and Facebook. This is very evident in the growth of social networks spanning the other sectors also like education, business, government, and even non-profit organizations. One such non-profit organization is the Changemakers.

Changemakers is made up of social entrepreneurs. While business entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs work as change agents for society. They make social innovations a reality in the different parts of the world by arming the youth with the opportunity to express themselves and to come up with innovative solutions to the social problems they see in the world. They also arm the youth with the resources to effect change. Each viable proposition is turned into a real tool to effect change.

G. Wayne Clayton is the founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Integerol LLC  along with SocialMarketingExpert.org.  He’s a former newspaper publisher and investigative journalist. He has been seen and heard on CNN, Fox News Talk radio, quoted in The Toronto Star and is soon to be heard on BlogTalkRadio. You can follow his tweets on Twitter.