The argument over whether or not social media creates activism or slacktivism is an ongoing debate. The notion that Facebook “likes” and “reposts” do not equate to advocacy is still prevalent, but so is the potential for social media to transform the planet. Despite a seemingly passive response from viewers at first, social media improves the lives of everyday people through its large community and fewer personal risks.

With the help of social media, ordinary people now have the opportunity to voice their concerns. Social media as a whole functions as a democracy because individuals can inform and correct the public of major events occurring in their area. People are able to receive immediate feedback as well as fact-check each other’s stories due to the sheer volume of users commenting online.

Unlike historic sit-ins and marches, social media has the power to unite more people towards a common goal. With over 3 billion people having internet access, social media connects more people together than any in-person gathering can. The task of raising funding for a particular cause is distributed more evenly when there are more people invested. By tapping into a larger network, a member of a bigger organization has less financial burden than someone from a smaller party.

This approach can be implemented across other social media sites by dividing a large task into smaller, easier roles. For example, when there was an aggressive police officer during a Ferguson protest in 2014, Twitter users banded together and were able to identify the man within 30 minutes of hearing about him. The hashtags on Twitter reveal what is trending and important to people from around the globe. People living in different parts of the country can be instantly notified of a fatal protest, urgent issue, and case verdict through social media.

Launched in 2010, GoFundMe has raised over $3 billion for worthy causes thanks to the generosity of 2 million donors. In 2015, 3.3 million people donated $500 million from around the world via Kickstarter. Social media has become the place for people to effectively enlist the help of others at little to no cost. Not only is donating money a form of altruism, but it is also mutually beneficial as people can give back to the community and feel good about themselves.

Ultimately, change does not have to be monumental in order to be considered impactful. People without a journalism degree can become watchdogs when they publish their discoveries on the internet. As for the most popular social media platform to date, Facebook currently serves two billion people per month. Imagine if every user donates one penny, Facebook can provide $20 million to organizations in need and make the world a better place than it was yesterday.