Facebook

Business gurus talk rhapsodically about the power of connectivity; social philosophers extol the value of community. Facebook brought these things together in the geologic blink of an eye. With 1.5 billion active monthly users, the social network has morphed from mere friend finder to global front porch, ­preserving cultural ties lost in the modern diaspora and facilitating communion around the globe. Though such fellowship can ever-so-rarely lead to an unsavory end (like ISIS recruitment), Facebook has mostly served the good. Witness the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge—in which untold millions on the network helped raise $115 million for the ALS Association.