Pressing the "like" button and "reacting" to posts on Facebook may seem like a bold statement. After all you are going so far as to publicly state your support for a particular agenda--and since it is public, ANYONE can see it. Or at the very least, all of your friends can. For those who use social media to further their own political agenda, the posts you share and like might actually impact your life; you might even lose friendships depending on your presidential election views. Then there are employers who have most certainly taken the dawn of social media to their advantage, and who use your posts, pictures, and shares to get a sense of the kind of person you are. These are two cases where the impact is plain. In regards to social media activism, however, I cannot say the same.
We are all inclined to share posts relating to social justice issues or to write inspirational statuses encouraging body positivity and self love. We want to make a difference in the world, and where is the harm in that? Social media activism is, by far, the easiest course of action to take, and on top of that, it is also the quickest. Nonetheless, it is for that reason that I conclude that it is an inherently gutless route. Social media activism takes the film out of the camera so that when a person goes to take a picture, nothing happens. That person thinks they took a picture, but low and behold, he or she has not.
Social media activism does not guarantee action. Do not get me wrong--social media is an amazing platform to educate yourself and determine a great many things that you would not otherwise know. I applaud social media for that. Still, I am not so sure that most people who learn about social issues through this method feel compelled to action. When it is so much easier to just press a button, why would a person go out of his or her way to dedicate time to a cause?
Words (and shares) can be (and oftentimes are) empty. And the cliche "practice what you preach" is too frequently not put into action. Facebook statuses intended to inspire others to "love themselves" because they are "perfect in every way" fall flat. Their message may ring pure; there is no doubting that. The problem here arises given that 1. there is no way to know for certain that the person writing the status truly feels that way, or if that person is putting up a front to maintain a positive social media reputation, and 2. because it commands instead of guides. Changes do not just "happen." In the end, social media activism is composed of a bunch of senseless, "feel-good words" that may sound melodious, yet have no substance, no core, and definitely no depth.
It is a start, but definitely not a finish. The prevalence of social media in our modern day world is unprecedented, so there is no denying its accessibility. We live in a golden age of information, and that is a beautiful thing. Social media is a great tool to send a message across and to educate, but I would not say that it is the finish line. Far from it, I think it would be more productive to think of social media like a single piece of furniture in a room. The room's functionality cannot suffice with one chair.
I am in no way against the countless benefits that social media serves. An active user myself, I find no reason that social media should not be used (I would even go as far as to say that I am a supporter of it generally). Even so, relying on social media as a means of activism is lazy and downright reprehensible (which I am also at fault for). Do yourself and everyone else a favor: put forth the extra effort--it is worth it.
