I need help with a History question. All explanations and answers will be used to help me learn.

DQ: How do groups use social media as a tool? What are the possibilities and limits of social media?

Read:

• Gladwell, Malcolm, “Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted” The New Yorker, October 4, 2010. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/10/04/small-change-malcolm-gladwell (Links to an external site.)
• "8 Massive Moments Hashtag Activism Really, Really Worked." https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/hashtag-activism-hashtag10-twitter-trends-dresslik/ (Links to an external site.)
• Watch:
• How a Hashtag Defined a Movement (Links to an external site.)
• Slacktivism: Social Media's Effect on Activism | Sophie Egar | TEDxYouth@PepperPike (Links to an external site.

Reply:

Social media is used as a way for causes and movements to gain popularity and awareness, and it can be used as a sort of pressuring tactic to inspire action in people with power. Because seemingly everyone in America has social media accounts, social media allows for millions of people to learn about societal issues quickly and easily. There are many examples of social media working as activism, such as the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements. Social media can allow for movements to be organized in their demands and agenda, making for potential that is far greater than past movements. However, social media also has drawbacks. It has become trendy to post about social justice, meaning that many do not have a serious passion for what they preach. Also, posting messages does nothing by itself. Actual action must take place, like protesting or donating. Social media can be part of the solution, but social media itself is not the solution. Many Americans however have the mindset that social media can do everything. Social media can also lead to a movement’s message being misconstrued by individuals. Therefore, we cannot solely rely on social media for information, rather we must do good research before basing our opinions on what we hear on social media.