The Ethics of Social Media Activism

By Reem Saeed ‘27

In recent years, the intersection between global conflict, social unrest, and emerging discussions about activism have developed concurrently with individuals’ power to speak out in a novel way—via their own phones. Social media has evolved to give everyday citizens access to very public platforms in which they may advocate for the issues that they care about. In today’s society, attending a protest is not the only way to show alliance with various causes. One’s following base, whether that is a select few friends and family members or an audience of millions, can almost instantaneously see what position one takes on specific political matters. This can all occur easily, with the simple viewing of an Instagram story or a retweet. Despite the apparent benefits of this ease of access, questions regarding the overarching efficacy and moral implications of advocating for issues on social media arise.

When it comes to the actual practice of social media activism, there has been a visible shift in the popular meaning of what it means to be an activist. The instantaneous and widespread nature of social media also makes the issue of activism especially tricky, as the line between advocating for issues and being potentially harmful has been blurred. For example, under the sound on TikTok that uses the song “Ana Dammi Falastini” by Mohammed Assaf, many individuals  have lip synced to and asked for pronunciation guides for the song. This is well-intentioned, as the people raising these questions are advocating for awareness of the genocide against Palestinians. Nevertheless, the issue lies with them trying to portray themselves as  activists when the song title directly translates from Arabic to “my blood is Palestinian.” When non-Palestinian individuals sing the lyrics, it can come off as disingenuous since the song itself is a celebration of Palestinian heritage and not a simple stance in solidarity. In this case, a more effective use of social media activism would have been using the song to perhaps provide resources to help the cause, rather than possibly diluting the song’s meaning.

Moreover, there is, of course, the crucial question of whether or not posting on social media is actually effective. There is no doubt that disseminating information or sharing resources for people to contribute to causes they care about is a vital part of any social movement, but there is validity in critiquing the possibly surface level nature of the oftentimes one-sided interaction this creates. In essence, this can become a checkbox that influencers and everyday social media users alike feel compelled to check off without assessing the nuances that come with it. Videos of singer Hozier have recently gone viral for his support of Palestine, where he stopped his concerts to urge his audience to directly contact their U.S. representatives to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. However, many other celebrities have simply used a singular Instagram story post to demonstrate their solidarity. Although the latter may not come from a place of malice, the simplistic fashion in which they present their stance is undermining the power of their platform. Using their massive audience to promote direct action or awareness that was not otherwise present could galvanize people to actually go out and take active measures to support their cause. Simply posting once will not have the same effect, as it comes off as more of a PR move than genuine support for a cause. 

On a smaller scale, posting on social media can be beneficial because it can promote more direct action items from an audience who likely has similar beliefs. For instance, a person with 200 followers on Instagram could gather significant support for a fundraiser since it is likely that their followers share similar beliefs and believe the issue is of importance. Nevertheless, it is still essential to recognize the weight intentionality plays into posting. Similar to celebrity PR moves, only posting about an issue once can have an adverse effect on spreading awareness to a smaller audience. This inherently makes social issues “trendy,” as they are only spread reactively—instead of either proactively or consistently to ensure that not only information is spread but that the topic is continuously discussed. There is nothing wrong with initially hearing about an issue and then subsequently posting about it, but the problem lies with treating a significant social problem like the latest topic of discussion and abandoning it as soon as it is not as widely discussed. 

Of course, there is no guidebook or one-size-fits-all method to navigate posting about anything remotely political or social justice related. This is still a relatively new concept and has to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. Still, it is important to be deliberate about how social media is utilized for such a sensitive and critical realm. It is also vital to not underestimate the power of social media; #boycottstarbucks has garnered over 92 million views on TikTok since October, which has led to a noteworthy amount of individuals following suit and boycotting the chain. The efficacy in this case can be tied back to its direct call to action, as opposed to it simply being a trendy phrase only used a few times. Essentially, social media activism needs to be more than just well-intentioned, but also well-executed and adequately appropriate for its situation. The more social media is employed for advocacy, the more individuals should be aware about its implications.