Social Media: Furthering social justice issues or disparaging the cause?

BY: BRITTNEY CHANNER 

Social media can often be utilized as a compelling tool, enabling people to actively discuss issues which they are passionate about. The consumption of social media has made it easier for those to get their opinion, thoughts, and messages across regarding particular subject matter to many individuals across the world. Social media has enabled individuals to build relationships, share expertise, stay informed on what happens all over the world and develop real-world skills.

As consumers, we see the potential benefits of social media through various platforms, however, throughout the past ten years we have also seen how social media readily exposes the often depressing and taboo issues in the world, revealing it as a tool that can be used to champion change in the attempt to better humanity as a whole. Nevertheless, it has been argued that social media actually does more damage to the overall cause of social justice and further perpetuates potential biases and views that lean toward one particular side of the spectrum. Regardless of how social media is presented, it is important to acknowledge how the fight for social justice can be misconstrued or misrepresented to the easily impressionable.

Through recent outcries of social injustice, we have seen how social media has raised awareness on certain issues by putting them at the forefront for people to explore and decipher. The idea of social justice has become more apparent with certain social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The creation of hashtags has allowed individuals to participate in their own unique way of activism against many social issues that have the potential to lead to the overall downfall of society and mankind.

The formation of social movements such as Occupy Wall Street, the Take a Knee Movement and Black Lives Matter have all generated much attention through online outlets and have educated the masses on the current injustices that continue to plague the 21^st century. However, social media has revealed its ugly side as it sometimes has the tendency to misrepresent the experiences of people who are mistreated in society.

For example, the all too familiar occurrence of someone being killed which leads to the resurrection of their social media accounts being used on television outlets to discredit the victim or justify unreasonable treatment. In addition, the concept of “Slacktivism” which is referred to as actions performed via the internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement. (i.e). signing an online petition, joining a group on a social media website or sharing, tweeting or reposting a social issue thinking that solely will create the change required.

It has been argued that this type of “activism” is merely for individual gratification because it lacks engagement, commitment and frequently fails to produce any substantial effect in terms of promoting a cause, creating the change needed and identifying viable solutions. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t guilty of this form of activism at one point in time however, I think with continuous education and personally advocating for justice to those closest to me made me realize the importance of consistency.

The main question that I feel many people including myself would like to know is if the idea of social justice is attainable? And if it is, is social media a successful tool in fighting injustice? Evidently, this question can be difficult to answer because it is obvious that the examples provided can go both ways. For example, the #MeToo movement went viral giving many survivors the courage to step forward in order to demonstrate the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment; especially within the workplace.

Social media in this example was a success, as it was used to address a worldwide epidemic. On the other hand, we can also see how social media can lead to “Slacktivism” which addresses a social issue for a certain period of time for the sake of instant gratification, therefore leading to people forgetting about the overall cause.

As we continue to live in a world where social injustices occur at an alarming rate, I suggest that instead of focusing intensely on a particular issue, we take the time to educate and understand the issue, decipher how it has been created in the first place and determine how we can implement practical solutions for the future. This type of activism can lead to greater comprehension and wisdom, therefore, creating the change we so desperately wish to seek.