Using social media as a voice or platform for social change is one modern method of social activism that has seen some success on the world stage. There are so many things happening in the world. But these things have been happening for quite some time. However, we hear more about what's happening in the world due to the prevalence of global social media and the connections we can make with people we might otherwise not have known through social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But is awareness actually increasing social changes? The group Equality Now, would say there are successes to be had here, just look at Can't Stop the Serenity (CSTS), which has raised more than 1.2 million dollars for Equality Now since 2006, all from people getting together and watching Joss Whedon's Firefly series movie, Serenity, once a year around Joss' birthday, all primarily organized and promoted through social media.
But there is a big difference between effecting social change and effecting social awareness. Awareness is the beginning of change. In an blog post, "Can colouring your Facebook profile picture ever actually effect change?" Caitlin Dewey begins to address this concept. How far does the simple and "riskless act" of altering a profile pic on Facebook does not really cause policy change; however, it does bring awareness to an issue. It does give those viewing it the opportunity to think about something. This is the power of social media, causing people to think about things they might not otherwise be prompted to think over if not confronted with it throughout the day in small snippets. This is another factor, snippets. All of those influences roll around in our brains, collecting, collating, wrapping around one another, until we bring those discussions face to face or face to Facebook as the case may be. I know I, and many of my friends have been prompted to call our congressmen, senators, and local representatives about issues happening right now; which, without the FB influence, I might not have. But then there is the flip-side, so many walk around angry, disillusioned, frustrated, as more and more they are presented with the avalanche of information - real/researched and not so much. I fall into this category. I struggle with coping with the information bombardment from my myriad friends and acquaintances, sorting through the reality and the hype, twisting my brain around the distorted facts and doing my own research, and trying not to vehemently direct people to Snopes. Social media is both boon and burden when it comes to social change. It has been used as a tool for both good and evil, as evidenced by our most recent political upheavals. There is a TEDx talk by Ronny Edry that is a good example of how social media can bring people of differing backgrounds together and truly effect changes. By creating a design and a message against the tense relations between Iran and Israel, one he posted on FB for friends and family, Ronny started and entire movement that spread the globe and began to influence other people in other countries to speak out against war and for peace. One thing, one action, can start a movement. A movement can actually effect change. Communication is the basis of effecting that change. Once regular media picks it up it can really develop into something profound. The only challenge then is keeping that change going.
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Kait E CottengimA wandering leaf, teacher, lifelong book addict, ofttimes artist/writer, & eclectic spiritual explorer. ArchivesCategories |