SOCIAL MEDIA DRIVES SOCIAL CHANGE

Technology is often criticized for causing the severance of interpersonal connection opportunities in physical contexts, as users “mindlessly” swipe through screens on their phones. However, despite their distraction-provoking affordances, technological devices can offer a portal into different parts of the world. Although, at times, we may not be paying full attention to our surroundings, we face the opportunity to brush up on current events, such as the status of our economy or international news.

For the past few years, technology has established itself as an impetus to social change. This has been demonstrated through Twitter activism movements such as #BlackLivesMatter. When traditional and mainstream media cover a story, there tends to be a considerable amount of information and detail that has been omitted, or is simply missing. Through social media platforms that offer collaborative and interactive features, users can contribute to the dissemination of information and consequential spreading of awareness. Some of the affordances of these features include, but are not limited to, written posts; photo and video sharing; reposts and retweets; and hashtags.

The Arab Spring was widely discussed throughout Facebook, as users were given the opportunity to spread awareness across the world. This conversational “trend” gave otherwise disconnected individuals the chance to offer their voices, and to take a stand against oppressive leaders. Social media can provide users with the opportunity to help evolve events, patterns, and crises from everyday news releases into social issues that demand to be addressed.

Today, only a few days after the ISIS attack on civilians in France, Facebook has played a role in engaging people throughout the world to stand in unity against terrorism. It often takes time for social change to occur, but when people’s mindsets change and recalibrate to focus on common world issues, social change can begin at our fingertips.

The power of social media on societal impact exemplifies the significance of digital access and literacy in today’s technological era. One of the crucial backlashes of this prevalent mode of widespread interaction and influence is the underrepresentation of those who do not have the means to join the conversation. The digital divide deprives these individuals of their rights to share their voices, which poses a detrimental disadvantage to societal development and equal representation.