Social media has taken a battering over the last few years. For many people they see it as the source of a lot of the troubles the world is facing. That it is against the little guy. They are a faceless group of shadowy people out for their own self-interest. While some of that is undoubtedly true. The fact is that it has the capacity to be used to perform incredible acts of kindness, and be a force for good. So what are some of the ways it can help?
Highlighting abuses of power
Before, when someone abused their power it was often the case that it was a he said she said situation. We’d hear conflicting reports and maybe get footage or a recording, but it would be from one side. Now thanks to everyone having a phone and able to live stream these things get broadcast to the world. Allowing people to hear and see things from multiple angles. When George Floyd was arrested we could see the blatant abuse of power and hold those involved to account. We are able to see these things so much quicker and unfiltered by what we’re told by those in authority. It’s not a perfect system, but it makes people aware of the situation.
Fundraising – A Force for Good
Fundraising after a traumatic event has always been a thing. Thanks to social media people are able to get their stories out there. People from all over the world are able to come together to help people in need far easier than before. Thanks to a couple of clicks, we are able to contribute and share worthy causes. Therefore, people affected by the event are able to directly reach out to those who are helping them and vice versa. I find that to be a pretty noble use of the platforms and a force for good.
They can be used to educate people
A couple of weeks back I talked about the Social Media Echo Chamber where a collective get surrounded by people who all think alike so it’s hard to break through. Well now certain platforms are banning certain subjects, saying others are false and then pointing users in the direction of where they can find the facts. Now some say it’s interfering and that they are censoring people and while that is a concern, the fact they’re trying to educate people is admirable. While it may come from a selfish place (let’s be honest no platform reasonably wants to be associated with extremists) it is a step in the right direction.
It gives people a platform
Before, if you wanted to show off your talents or your company then you had to either find the right people to talk to or spend a lot of money on advertising. With Social media we now have the ability to promote and sell ourselves in some cases for next to nothing. People have built their brands or careers by making the right moves on these platforms to the point that major companies spend billions every year to make sure they have a presence on them as well. Social Media can be a level playing field for all users.
While social media isn’t perfect and has caused its own fair share of problems, it’s worth noting how much it has changed the landscape for the better. People’s voices and concerns can be heard easier; they can interact with politicians and brands making them feel like their voices can be heard. Let’s hope that overtime the good will outweigh the bad. So while it isn’t perfect I feel like I can say it’s a force for good. If you want more articles like this one then why don’t you check out our Blog page? We publish articles every week so it’s worthwhile following us on Facebook or checking back in with us regularly.
