Mia Krysa

There’s good and bad in every situation. Social media, for example, has both strengths and weaknesses that add or take away from society in different ways. In this post, I’d like to focus on the good side of social media.

Activism in the Digital Age

Where there’s social media, there’s activism. After the pandemic in 2020, many people took to social media to participate in movements like Black Lives Matter and #BlackoutTuesday. On #BlackoutTuesday, millions of people posted black squares in solidarity of ending police brutality and racism, and also added #BLM hashtags. While the intent behind the trend was meant to show support, it backfired and ended up doing the opposite. Many people felt like all they had to do to show their support was post a black square and their participation ended there. It also inundated hashtags and social media with so many black squares, that people couldn’t find real, useful information on how to support black people and ending racism.

I want to focus on the intention, though. Because I think the meaning behind posting that black square, whether or not it ended up backfiring, is just as important. Posters of the black squares were called out on their laziness and encouraged to do more. It sparked more conversation and countless people on social media, “who would ordinarily never talk about race, apologized and attempted to course-correct. And for them to recognize their own ignorance and do it so publicly is no small thing”.

The Power of Sparking Conversation

Social media is powerful, and almost everyone in the world has access to the Internet. It allows us to share information and ideas, learn, and connect with people that we may have never crossed paths with. I’m hopeful that in situations similar to the #BlackoutTuesday movement, that we can continue to learn to do better as a society. Whether good or bad, the movement sparked conversation and encouraged people who wouldn’t ever speak about race to speak about race. It encouraged uncomfortable but necessary conversations, questions, and ideas.

I posted a black square during the BLM movement, thinking that it was enough. I soon realized though that there was so much more to being an ally than making a single post, and that is how social media can be used for public good. As a white person, I can continue to learn, ask questions, and support the black community, beyond an Instagram post. If others adopt this mindset and realize there is so much more work to do in many areas of social justice, we can use social media for good in ways that would benefit everyone.