Argumentative Essay On Social Media

“Social media platforms held the promise of being more egalitarian and democratic than mass media in a sense that all users could equally participate and contribute content” (Dijck & Poell, 6). This explains a basic purpose of social media that remains consistent with the democratic values of freedom that the U.S. is founded upon by providing citizens with a platform where they are free to speak their mind. What makes this even more interesting is the ability for people to share their opinions on a stage that has relatively no geographical boundaries. Rather than restricting the spread of individuals’ beliefs, social networking sites help spread messages and information to anyone, faster than was previously possible. According to Dijck and Poell, “social media platforms seldom deal with ‘natural’ geographically or demographically delineated audiences; instead, they expedite connections between individuals, partly allowing the formation of strategic alliances or communities through users’ initiative” (Dijck & Poell, 8). Social networking sites are naturally designed to increase connectivity and interactions among individuals with common interests or beliefs. The idea of connectivity has significantly influenced the way in which protests are held in America and around the world.

Nowadays, social media is practically a staple in everyone’s lives. While some use it solely to stay in touch with friends or family, others wouldn’t even know the latest of current events if they didn’t have their phone notifying them that their friends are talking about it. The Internet and social media have bred a new generation of socially-aware people which has given them a platform to learn and share on. Because this generation’s growth is largely-based online and through technology, it has formed a new brand of social activism. While some feel social media has made it too easy to claim a movement or position, others believe that it is what we need to spread a message

The term “social media” refers to the wide range of Internet-based and mobile services that allow users to participate in online exchanges, contribute user-created content, or join online communities (Dewing). It has become common today to use applications such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to express and share your thoughts, opinions, and common interest. In Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted, writer Malcolm Gladwell touches upon the issues of social media’s role in activism vs. the traditional way of becoming a true activist Many of us today use these social networks for its beneficial approach to attract users and acquaintances to support their cause or

The Civil Rights movement in the U.S. during the 1950’s and 60’s showed how effective activism is on political issues. Under the leadership of major civil figures, most notably Dr. Martin Luther King, the organized and peaceful movement brought about major change to the civil rights of African Americans and other minorities. Moreover, this movement made historical strides in changing U.S. policy, and did so without the use of social media. Today, social media activism is merely a means to an end. Social media can share a vast amount of information, and raise awareness on a broad spectrum of issues. However, the ability to make major changes on government policy, as proven by many occurrences in history, requires high-risk activism under an organized hierarchy. I argue that social media is not an effective tool for political actions because it lacks the necessary traits to make an effective impact.

On the internet, when the politics news come around, people put their own opinion about campaigns, government and activism. Statistics show, that “66% of social media users (39% of American adults) have engaged in one of eight civic or political activities with social media: 38% of those who use social networking sites (SNS) or Twitter “like” or promote material related to politics or social issues that others have posted, 35% have used social networking sites to encourage people to vote, 34% have used the tools to post their own thoughts or comments on political and social issues, 33% have used the tools to repost content related to political or social issues that was originally posted by someone else, 31% have used the tools to encourage other people to take action on a political or social issue, 28% have used the tools to post links to political stories or articles for others to read,

Gladwell wrote that “Facebook activism success … by motivating them to do the things that people do when they are not motivated enough to make real sacrifice” (408-409). Gladwell is contrasting how during the civil rights movement protesters were motivated and deeply rooted in their social injustices to the point that they physically protested. In contrast to the civil rights protesters, today, people are using social media to perform and or start a movement. Even though Gladwell believes that social media has transformed protesting into a lazy practice, today people have used social media as a tool to make real sacrifices. For instance, the “Justice or Else” 20th Million Man March Anniversary protest was organized and promoted via social media. People from all over the country came to Washington, D.C. to protest against all of the recent police brutality on Blacks. Gladwell continued his argument by stating that “it (social media) makes it easier for activists to express themselves, and harder for that expression to have any impact” (p. 414). In contrast to this premise, activists have used large platforms such as newspapers to reach a huge audience just as activists of today use social media to reach their audience. This revolutionary mass source has enabled activists of today to reach larger audiences than their past counterparts have

Social media has transformed the way that news is gathered and distributed. Social media users seek the news through social media sites; for example, 64% of the U.S. Adults use Facebook and about half of those users get news from Facebook. The users of social media also diffuse the news and participate in news circulation by sharing news stories, images, videos, and discussions posts about a news or event, nearly 46% of social network site users have discussed a news issue (Anderson & Caumont, 2014). Furthermore, social media sites have increased the accessibility to news and now 62% of U.S. adults, which is about 6-in-10 Americans, get news from social media. There are varieties of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube,

Social media has changed how social activism is done by “making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate, and give voice to their concerns” (Gladwell 68). However, this does not mean that social media has changed what a successful social activism has always required. There has been a common misbelief that when a social campaign “go viral” on the internet, it means a successful social activism. Social media can be used as a tool for the organization and the communication of real activists, but not an effective tool for starting a social change by convincing people on the internet to become real activists and take real-life action.

Social networking sites and applications such as Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the way people speak out for social justice. Before smart phones and social media applications became the norm, protests would be organized almost entirely by word-of-mouth. This provided a challenge for organizers who struggled to make their message for social justice be heard. After smart phones and social media applications became popular, however, people were able to use social networking sites as platforms to raise their voice against social injustice. Simply, it became easier to organize protests because their message reached more people than ever before. Suddenly, people were able to react to a social injustice faster than ever before. This process

With instantaneous, ease of access to large online communities, members of society have the opportunity to communicate with, and assemble large groups. The creation of these groups would, in most cases, be impossible to congregate without social media. Additionally, online communities have proven advantageous in motivating bystanders. All popular social media hubs, such as Facebook and Twitter, have made it as simply as the click of a button to spread information. As far as political and social impact goes - the larger the group, the more efficient and likely the goal will be achieved, shown with the Ferguson protest. The extensive use, and ease of use of social media has significantly increased political participation in society.

These platforms can catalyze discourses on a variety of issues on the political and social spectrum. Whether it is environmental issues, immigrant rights, antiwar protests, criticism against state policies, or support for activists around the world, social media has shown us the diversity, and sometimes maddening complexity, of political voices (ibid). Nonetheless, what makes social media so easy and effective is its decentralized nature; it is inexpensive, driven by networks, and entails few boundaries, if any (ibid). It is the democratic nature of social media that makes it accessible to users who wish to be heard (ibid). A limitation of social media activism is that some movements begin with good intentions, but soon after, people with no deep understanding of the cause infiltrate the community. Ideologies can clash and ugly debates can transpire. Sometimes the new discussion slowly drifts away from the original cause. Hopefully, future research will suggest these communities do more good than harm and contribute to thoughtful discussion and learning of social

The almost omnipresent Internet transforms our lives, connecting us to family, friends, and the world in ways inconceivable only a few years ago. Through social media, we actively participate in creating, editing, and consuming a never-ending stream of data. Private corporations and protagonists of political or social change all vie to reach and engage highly targeted

This democracy ultimately rests on the people raising their voices, and once again, the internet improves this process. Through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, citizens have an ability to speak out like never before. Mark McKinnon, an American political advisor, said, “Technology and social media have brought power back to the people” (“Mark McKinnon Quotes”). If social media can elect a president, as it did in 2016, then it is clearly a force to be reckoned with. Before the age of the internet, voicing your opinion on a public platform often meant writing a letter to the editor and hoping that it was selected for publication, but now, it’s as easy as posting on Facebook, something many people do frequently. Speaking out on important issues has never been easier.

No matter how much potential social media has for political or societal change it is important to criticize its negative aspects. An article written by Andrea Moncada, begins her argument with the question has social media had the same impact on advocacy. Similar to Gladwell’s points of view, Moncada states, “social media can help get the word around, but participants must be united by a core message and traditional methods…” This source of uncertainty is the basis for its support and is understandable.

As technology develops rapidly in the modern society, the broad social influence it brings is also widely discussed, especially about its effects on social change. In the past, social movements were raised without the help of technology, specifically without social media, whereas social media has recently played a non-ignorable role. The connection between social media and social activisms concerned, here come some different voices. Few people maintain that social media now has no practical influence on social change, while others hold the opposite view, thinking social media is already a crucial factor in it. Personally speaking, I agree with the second kind of view: it is true that social media is not able to create social movements by itself in today’s world, but it plays an important and essential part in making real social change.