Adam Eli: How Social Media Is Changing Activism — For the Better
December 15 2020 11:00 AM EST
Beginning this summer and continuing through the election, Instagram has transformed from a place to share sunny vacation pics and snaps of cold brew to an essential resource. Through infographics and slideshows, you can learn about how and where to safely protest, the best and worst places to donate money, and watch live videos as people continue to take to the streets.
Activists have long hoped for social media to spread information in these ways; it can seem like everyone is becoming an activist. This isn't bad, not by any means, but it does require us to reframe how we've historically thought about what activism is, taking on a more dynamic definition, and it makes it challenging to know who is doing other types of activist work beyond simply posting on social media.