Social media is a powerful resource for all major movements. We’ve seen the way movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #Ferguson, and the Arab Spring were all significantly impacted by social media use. But, does social media have the power to truly right the wrongs done in this world? 

The Arab Spring

The Arab Spring was a time of widespread uprisings against the government in various Middle Eastern and North African countries. One of the fascinating pieces of this was the impact of social media. Protest information and footage were shared on Twitter and Facebook, causing the worldwide media to gain knowledge of what was going on. As more protests were shared online, more countries began following suit. 

Despite the growing popularity of the uprisings on social media, experts have assessed that we don’t necessarily know for sure if the widespread social media attention caused other countries to start their movements. One of the biggest questions is the language barrier between these countries. It’s certainly possible that these movements would’ve happened at the same time even without social media. What we do know for sure is that social media allowed the rest of the world to join the conversation. 

Does Social Media Bring Justice?

Social media is important for sharing information, especially when it comes from the public and not from those in power. Does social media itself bring about justice? I don’t think social media can single-handedly right the wrongs done. What it does, however, is create awareness and help those who aren’t affected by certain injustices have a better understanding and develop empathy. In my lifetime, from movements such as #Ferguson and #BlackLivesMatter, I’ve become much more aware of the police brutality issues that African Americans face. Although I don’t believe social media has necessarily fixed these issues, it has made a huge impact on the conversations we have and the steps we take towards justice.