Anymore, it seems like almost everything revolves around social media. We get our news through Facebook and Twitter, we keep up with friends and family through Instagram, etc. So it only makes sense that we'd shift political activism to social media eventually as well.
A lot of people underestimate the power of using social media as a tool to garner support for a cause or using it as a platform for activism. For example, I've heard people say that retweeting something about families being separated at the border won't make a difference.
I disagree.
I'm on Twitter a lot, probably more than the average person. It's where I keep up with what's happening in the world. I can get second-by-second updates through Twitter and for me, it's where I see things first. A lot of my friends use Twitter a lot as well. So I retweet something political or something about an issue I support, not only is it letting people know what I believe in, but it also helps educate other social media users.
If you share the link of an article and someone decides to read it because you shared it, you've made that person more educated about an important cause. Social media is an amazing tool for spreading the word and helping others express their points of view.
People claim that celebrities who use their social media accounts for activism purposes are just looking for attention or taking the easy way out. Somehow it's assumed that posting on social media about a cause isn't enough, or that celebrities aren't qualified to post about their political opinions.
Sophia Bush, for example, an actress most known for starring in "One Tree Hill", uses her Twitter and Instagram accounts to advocate for different issues. She posts in support of gun control, immigration, women's rights, and education. A lot of what I've learned personally about these issues have come from articles she's posted about or links she's shared.
I've seen first hand the thousands of comments Bush gets on her Instagram posts that say things like "Stick to acting" or "What do you know about politics?", but she sticks to her guns and doesn't stop posting content related to politics. She's passionate about educating people and her social media platform is the way she can do it best.
Activism is so important in today's cutthroat political world. And social media makes it so much easier for your voice and your opinions to be heard. Young social media users are being shaped by what they see through the screen of their phone. Their minds are being molded by the information given to them through social media.
Your one tweet/retweet about a cause you support DOES make a difference. If just one person learns a little more about the world because you posted about it, you've made a difference.
Social media has the potential to bring so many changes.
It has the power to get officials elected, to raise money for important causes, and to broaden the horizons of the next generation. If we let it. Posting about social issues or organizations you support is just as effective as physically attending a rally or donating money. It may not seem like it, but change still happens whether you're spreading the word online or shouting it in the streets.
