Positives To Social Media
Let’s talk about the social media revolution. Increasingly, social media is becoming a central part of our lives. We use it to keep in touch with distant friends, peer into the lives of celebrities, and showcase (or flaunt) our talents to our networks. But viewing social media only as a resource for the individual misses it’s true potential! Over the past decade or so, social media has brought irreversible changes to society and generated great uncertainty about our future. Perhaps, we aren’t new to the revolution spurred by social media.
Arguably, social media today is the equivalent of the printing press for 15th century peasants. During the Renaissance, the printing press introduced an era of mass communication which altered the structure of society and challenged the status quo. Sounds like what Twitter, Instagram and Facebook allow users to do today…. The relatively unrestricted circulation of ideas and information transcended borders, sharing the words of the masses and threatening the power of religious and political authorities. Over time this innovative technology allowed literacy rates to increase, eventually breaking the monopoly of the rich on education and generating a middle class! Just as with the printing press, social media has helped facilitate the transaction of ideas and events, connecting people previously divided by vast distances.
Social media is used worldwide to share current events and acts as a window into each user’s unique culture. Its role in assisting the organization of mass protests that toppled abusive regimes in what is commonly referred to as the Arab Spring, demonstrated to the world its immense power and influence. In Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, we were able to watch in real time as young people fueled the rebellions by using social networking to spread word about demonstrations - not only to neighboring Arab nations but to those living under oppression globally. I’m sure you’ve seen the videos of protests and of pain and understand the immense power to fuel emotions and stimulate action that social media advocacy campaigns can have. The use of visual media during these uprisings was unique as it not only captured single moments in time, but also captured the centuries history and the uncertainty of impending change.
In the West, multinational corporations began adopting more ethical and sustainable practices as a result of social media advocacy and pressure. After the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh, which killed or injured more than 3,000 mostly female workers, brands whose inexpensive garments were manufactured from the Southeast Asian country quickly faced harsh criticism. Shortly after the disaster, popular fashion companies like Zara, H&M and Tesco agreed to address building safety and other concerns raised by unions to try to create a safety plan hoping to improve these conditions in Bangladesh factories. Videos and pictures of the collapsed factory and the ensuing chaos, trauma and despair were shared widely across social media, gaining the attention of consumers of the brands at fault in the West. It’s clear how these companies were forced to address the issues raised simply because their customers had indirect exposure to the unsafe working conditions through social media.
As another example, in 2010, Greenpeace shared a video tagging Nestlé as a way to call out their use of unsustainable palm oil. The video wound up spreading like wildfire and millions (I’m serious, millions!!!) of people angrily voiced their disapproval via different social media platforms. Can you guess how Nestlé reacted? The company eventually agreed to cancel contracts with vendors who cleared rainforest to plant palm oil plantations. One of the largest manufacturers of chocolate backed down under pressure from a social media mob responding to a viral video!? Unreal.
Understanding the bigger picture of how social media has been used by social movements and environmental advocates to push big business to adopt sustainable and ethical operations. While social media will always be first and foremost a platform for personal betterment (and distractions), its influence in shaping the world we live in means understanding how to unlock its power could be the secret to achieving success in our highly competitive world.
