Activism and Social Media

From Myspace to Facebook to Instagram, social networking services have become more comprehensive with every passing year. What started as an innocent past-time is now one of the biggest sources for news and community in America today. In the modern age, social media is a means of expression as well as an opportunity to interact and connect with other individuals with similar beliefs and interests. Its ability to reach so many has made social media an ideal platform to promote movements that seek social reform. Social media is a simple and effective way to unite like-minded people, spread information, dispel misinformation, and ultimately provoke significant social change.

The Black Lives Matter movement was established in 2013 in response to the murder of Trayvon Martin. The mission of the organization is to, “eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes”. Though the group’s early efforts were not very successful, that changed in 2020. On May 25th of that year, a deeply disturbing video began to circulate online. It depicted a white police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a black man. In the clip, Floyd pleads with the police officer, telling the man that he can’t breathe. After two of the nine minutes the officer knelt on his neck, George Floyd died a completely preventable, tragic death. Outrage swept through the nation. The American people demanded justice. While some protested on the streets, others took to social media to voice their anger, but all were united by Floyd’s last words, “I can’t breathe”. According to Pew Research Center, “On May 28, nearly 8.8 million tweets contained the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag – making this the highest number of uses for this hashtag in a single day since the Center started tracking its use”.

In contrast to previous racially motivated attacks, the American public was given visual evidence. Together, through the lens of social media, the country watched a man die. Though a grim and disturbing reality, George Floyd could have been another nameless death amongst the many victims of police brutality had the last moments of his life not been caught on camera. It was the circulation of the video that brought awareness to police brutality, the cultivation of racism in the nation and brought on the realization that this incident was just one example of injustice the black community continued to endure on a daily basis.

In the following months, attention broadened from the seemingly isolated event of George Floyd’s death. Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, Breonna Taylor: these are only a few names on the lengthy list of individuals who are now dead due to police brutality, names America learned through social media activism. Had there not been platforms like Twitter or Instagram, it is likely that only the well-researched would be aware of this information. The news is no longer a very popular source for information about current events, and lengthy articles filled with unnecessary opinions and verbiage are unappealing to the average American. Due to its direct nature, social media is the ideal platform for anyone seeking information about current issues. The format, utilizing either pictures or keywords to peak the user’s interest, is such that a person can gain a sizable amount of knowledge by simply scrolling through a feed. According to an article from the Pew Research Center, “Around half of Americans engaged in some form of political or social-minded activity on social media in (2018)”. (Anderson, Toor, Rainie, Smith 1) What better place to cultivate a movement than on an app Americans use every day, sometimes for hours on end? In addition to simple information, the user has an opportunity to directly help causes they support through donation or a digital signature on a petition. Social media makes activism accessible for the average person.

Because social media revolves around projecting voices that would otherwise not be heard, it is imperative that oppressed individuals continue to speak, and privileged individuals learn to listen. For example, #BlackoutTuesday was meant to be a day of reflection on the recent death of George Floyd as well as a protest of police brutality on social media. The idea was for individuals who were not black to abstain from posting their everyday content and post a picture of a black screen instead. The intention was to promote oppressed voices. While the movement wasn’t entirely successful because the wrong hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter, was used, it was well-intentioned and could be attempted again in the future. While the older generation is hesitant to partake in such movements, the youth of America are generally more than willing to participate.

Every morning children across the country stand to pledge allegiance to the American flag, a ritual meant to unite the nation and encourage understanding of American values. Day after day they chide in unison, expressing loyalty, not only to their nation, but to an idea: “liberty and justice for all”. Though the wording and length of this pledge has changed throughout history, this particular phrase has remained unaltered because it embodied the desired central message so well. Webster’s dictionary defines the word ‘just’ as, “acting or being in conformity with what is morally upright or good”. The unfortunate reality is that America is far from embodying that ideal, and if change is desired, the logical starting point would be to instill such values into American youth. The most malleable minds are those of young children, therefore, if disdain for prejudice is going to be introduced, the school system needs to explore the subject in a very thorough manner. If elementary-aged children were taught how to respect and empathize with peers just as fervently as they were taught any of the core subjects, compassion would be sure to reign over issues such as racism. Throughout middle school and high school, teenagers learn, however briefly, about tragic events throughout history that were the result of prejudice. While the American school system addresses events civil rights events, there are shortcomings in the way the information is delivered. It is not sufficient to simply address historical injustice – the education system must prioritize discussion and connection to current events to promote understanding.

Furthermore, current social issues and movements should be discussed in the classroom, and though unconventional, exploration of current events through social media is a way to provide students with information in a medium that they are familiar with. Though the nature of this learning is nontraditional and current social issues are generally deemed less important than historical events, it is important to have discussions with students about issues such as discrimination. If America is to ensure that future generations are composed of moral, upstanding individuals, a proactive approach is far better than a reactive response.

Though far from perfect, activism on social media is the ideal method to bring awareness to a cause and incite social change. Humans are predisposed to prejudice, and while total eradication of the behavior may not be possible, it could be greatly reduced if action is taken. Through promoting oppressed voices on social media, incorporating discussion of current social issues into the American school system, and, ultimately, individually possessing a willingness to listen and act, America could very well begin to embody the sentiment the nation was built upon, “liberty and justice for all”.

Sources

Anderson, Monica, Michael Barthel, Andrew Perrin, and Emily A. Vogels. "#BlackLivesMatter Surges on Twitter after George Floyd's Death." Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, 28 Aug. 2020. Web. 10 May 2021. <https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/10/blacklivesmatter-surges-on-twitter-after-george-floyds-death/>.

Anderson, Monica, Skye Toor, Lee Rainie, and Aaron Smith. "Activism in the Social Media Age." Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Pew Research Center, 11 July 2020. Web. 10 May 2021. <https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/11/public-attitudes-toward-political-engagement-on-social-media/>.

Gardner, Kianna. "Social Media: Where Voices of Hate Find a Place to Preach." Center for Public Integrity. 30 Aug. 2018. Web. 10 May 2021. <https://publicintegrity.org/politics/social-media-where-voices-of-hate-find-a-place-to-preach/>.

"Just." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. Web. 10 May 2021. <https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/just>.

Morris, David. "With Liberty And Justice For All: A Brief History of the Pledge of Allegiance." Institute for Local Self-Reliance. 1 May 2002. Web. 10 May 2021. <https://ilsr.org/16899/>.