How To be an Activist on Social Media
Sonia Chajet Wides, 21’
On June 2, 2020, scrolling through Instagram meant black square after black square, separated by thin strips of white that showed someone’s username. The trend was called Blackout Tuesday and it was ostensibly in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter protests that were sweeping the country. As the trend began, activists encouraged those posting the squares to not hashtag them with #blacklivesmatter, because then the posts would clog up a hashtag that people used to find information about real-life protests and actions. But it was somewhat too late. That day, the #blacklivesmatter tag looked like a solid black screen, as did the rest of Instagram.
For some, it was a powerful show of solidarity, especially in places where the movement was less popular and a public show of support was more unique. For others, it was a distraction from actually helpful social media posts about the movement, making it an easy and empty day-long promise that wasn’t fulfilled when people were actually needed for concrete actions.
Blackout Tuesday, its unintended consequences, and its short timespan, encompass a lot of the debates that occur surrounding activism on social media. Since social media has become a dominant form of communication between individuals, especially teenagers, it has been used as an incredibly effective tool for organizing-- information has been spread, stories have gained traction, and movements have spawned.
However, activism’s presence on social media is not straightforward and actually is more double-sided: one the one hand, social media is integral to this generation’s political passion, but on the other hand, it can create the illusion that it’s the end-all-be-all. Having done work with both virtual and in-person organizing, these are a few of the things that I have learned about different parts of social media activism.
There are a few really important functions that social media has in organizing. One is connecting organizers. Social media and apps like Signal that have more privacy have helped organizers plan and discuss actions even when they don’t live in the same place. Another is digital action. The queer organizing group Voices4 has had some particularly creative digital actions on Grindr and Instagram, based on raising awareness and/or putting pressure on corporations that were invested in violent or harmful policies. Another important function of social media is spreading the word about issues, events, and movements.
There are a couple places, however, where social media’s role is more complex.
Spreading Information: Our access to the internet and social media has made this generation educated on a broader range of current events starting at a younger age. Social media allows us to hear about experiences beyond the scope of our own with maximum ease, and it also enables us to learn about complex topics in an accessible way. And this is a good thing! I would absolutely credit it as a reason that Gen Z has tended towards political and social activism -- also leading younger individuals to have stronger opinions on a variety of topics. That being said, there are a few important things to take note of:
Accuracy is important. There have been a few times recently where I’ve seen a story with some shocking headline spread on Instagram where the publication is not included in the screenshot, and then when I’ve googled the headline, it’s been an article from years ago about an issue that has since been amended.
Keep in mind that most issues have too much backstory and nuance to be summed up in an Instagram story or even a 10-slide post. If you discover something through social media, make sure to also research it outside of the direct post so you can get a more well-rounded and accurate understanding of what is being discussed.
Tangible Action:
I think that it’s best when raising awareness or learning about a topic on social media to follow up with what you witness with real action. It can be easy to keep activism within the limits of social media, creating a cycle: you learn about something, repost it, and discuss it. But what is so exciting about Gen Z’s passion is how it can be channeled into action, and that action has and will continue to make a real difference. This perspective is important to keep in mind as you scroll.
Shameless plug: For the past three years, I have co-run a website and platform called Teens Resist that aims to solve these very problems, by providing comprehensive explanations of issues and tangible actions to take based on them. Lots of BHSEC students are staff writers! If you’d like to check it out, it’s at teensresist.com-- you can find actions to take based on the issues you are most passionate about.