Social media has become such an important aspect in our daily lives, that people use it to express there opinions and concerns regarding a topic they are passionate about. Using social media in this way can provide much needed awareness to a cause. Yet, it can also lead to a shallow understanding of the topic, followed by inaction as it fades out of "popularity".With this being said, I understand why people turn to social media when issues arise. Social media has created a space where frustrated minorities can finally have their voices heard. However, social media activism as it is now, leaves people with the impression that if they simply change their profile picture, participate in a challenge, or march in a protest, their actions will lead to real life change. This is not true. There is so much more that goes into changing society and rules than just saying, "I support..." There are polices and laws that will need to be revised and rewritten. Before that can even happen, one needs to provide an example of a specific and ongoing injustice, in addition to providing realistic ways to solve it.
Malcom Gladwell, author of the article, "Small Change: Why Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted" explained, "Social media are not about this kind of hierarchical organization. Facebook and the like are tools for building networks, which are the opposite, in structure and character, of hierarchies. Unlike hierarchies, with their rules and procedures, networks aren't controlled by a single central authority. Decisions are made through consensus, and ties the bind people to the group are loose:" (The New Yorker).
With social movements such as Black Lives Matter, I see so many people retweeting and hashtagging Black Lives Matter to every post and/or comment that negatively targets people of color. As much as I love the idea of this movement, I feel as though there is no collective agreement about what exactly it is that we are fighting against. I have spoken to people who have told me that Black Lives Matter is a fight against racism. To me, racism is such a broad term, and trying to stop all racist actions at once seems like an overwhelming amount of responsibility. Especially, when Black Lives Matter fails to explain the injustices that black people face on a daily basis to those who have never experienced it, e.g. white people. Thus, it can lead to confusion and misinterpretation from white people as they try to make sense of this movement. It can also lead to increased amount of white guilt, causing some people to overly advocate for a cause that, they too, have little understanding of. Though their actions are appreciated, white guilt can come off as insincere or over the top. I believe that if you want to fight for a cause, you have to do more than just make it into a hashtag.
Sources:
Gladwell, Malcolm, “Small Change,” The New Yorker, 10/4/10,
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/10/04/small-change-3
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