With a single tap of our phones, we are awarded with an overwhelming amount of information. From news outlets to youtube videos, we are given access to bounds of knowledge on millions of topics. Along with educational tools, the sheer power of social media has greatly contributed to globalization in the world. If you have a smartphone and a stable internet connection, you can view news and current events from almost every country in the world. Networking applications also allow you to connect with people in these countries, learn new languages, and consume media content from all corners of the globe. As the presence of social media and the internet grows in our society, new uses for this technology have started to emerge, most notably within the rise of activism.
Online activism is a product of the ability to connect with millions of other people, allowing notable figures and impassioned supporters to spread their ideas through blogs, petitions, and crowdsourcing platforms. Campaign goals are starting to become globalized due to these platforms, which allow for the spread of awareness on a topic and increases the amount of people willing to take part in the campaign. Despite the benefits of digital activism, there also needs to be a push for offline activism to truly create change. In many ways, seeing activist groups and projects online can act as a catalyst for in person action. Seeing others attending protests and educating friends and family upon important matters can influence people to do the same, but it is also possible for people to get very discouraged if change is not seen quick enough. Viewing societal issues simply from a digitalized perspective can warp our realistic approaches in solving them. Change inevitably takes time, but this sentiment doesn’t negate our efforts in the given moment.
On a smaller scale, dealing with exposure to mature and emotionally heavy topics can be quite detrimental for the average individual. Seeing violent protests and people suffering all over the world can be quite harsh for teenagers and younger children especially. The internet has become a space for people of all ages, and those who are younger, or those who struggle with mental health issues, would find it difficult to cope with the burden of becoming unhealthily involved in consuming this content. Much of the younger generation is starting to feel a sense of personal responsibility for the millions of issues around the world, which inevitably spins teenagers in a cycle of hopelessness and disappointment when change is not achieved. Activism is undoubtedly beneficial to all, but taking breaks or spending time with loved ones is necessary to maintain a healthy balance. In order for us to truly encourage societal change, we have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and those around us as well.
A more recent event pertaining to these phenomena was in late June, when Black Lives Matter demonstrations were spreading like wildfire across the US. Protestors used social media platforms to document police brutality, warn for escalating situations in local areas, and to spread petitions calling for change.. Many protests were being live streamed across news platforms, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, while updates on police arrests or their intentions were being posted most commonly on Twitter, where word of their strategies spread extremely quickly. Such forms of activism are not only particular to America, with the same scenarios popping up during the Hong Kong protests and pro-democracy protests in Thailand. The youth was able to effectively release videos and first-hand experiences of what was occurring in both countries, garnering more support and traction along the way. These scenarios stand at the heart of digital activism, and are constant reminders as to how effective social media actually is in spreading information that can potentially save lives. As our society continues to develop, we too have the ability to take advantage of all of these resources we have grown with.
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Written by Archini D. from Kearny, NJ
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