Social change requires a shift in behavior, values, and norms that are initially developed through socialization, “the process by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs and norms of a given society and learn to function as its members” (Conley 2013). When one aims to make such a change, any prior socialization must be challenged. In the 21st century, individuals are socialized in large part by social networking websites including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, among others. Through these virtual and accessible spaces, a platform for conversation about social change is created. However, there must also be an accompanying space in which definitive action can take place in order for lasting change to be made; as Boots Riley points out, the end goal should be kept in mind in order to maintain motivation, but the means by which individuals will reach that end goal must be acknowledged just as frequently. I believe that the means for social change, as well as the end goal, can be communicated through social media. In this paper, I will discuss the ways in which social media can create social movements, change common behavior, and ultimately drive social change.
Social networking, a form of instantaneous communication, creates awareness and conversation. When something is virtually communicated, it can spark immediate response and get people thinking and talking about the issue without delay. When an individual shares his or her experiences or opinions on social media, it can spark a variety of emotions in viewers that will ultimately motivate them to seek change. As seen with Boots Riley, who shares his views through music, social media gives a platform to share information about important social issues. Though conversation may not be considered a form of definitive action, it can change the mindsets that drive people’s actions. When the actions of many change, it becomes a social norm, and naturally others will follow.
Individuals could be driven to act differently in the tangible world as a result of learning about an issue on social media and understanding the importance of his or her actions on a larger and historical scale. I recently saw a tweet containing a news article from The Federalist titled “The Stigma Of Being Conservative Is Worse Than That Of Being Gay,” which included the comment, “is ‘conservative’ the new ‘gay’?” Sarah Silverman’s reply, which received more likes and retweets than the one to which she responded, asked: “Did conservatives have to fight [for] the right to marry? Have children? Do they get beaten up and murdered [for] their identity? Does the VP want them to pray the conservatism away? Do conservative children kill themselves at an alarming rate [because] of how they’re treated at school [and at] home?” While this tweet may be considered to carry political bias, it only asks questions regarding human rights throughout history and today, and could cause readers of the first tweet to rethink social realities and realize that identifying as gay must feel far more stigmatized than identifying as conservative. Though this tweet did not start a social movement, it received a lot of attention and made people think about one of the many social issues that the United States is facing right now. It is not the platform itself, but rather what it encourages people to do and think, that makes social media so powerful (Shirky 2008).
Through social media we have the opportunity to hear stories directly from those who have experienced them, which is a privilege not always present in organized news coverage. The Me Too Movement originated on social media in the form of a trending hashtag and caused many people to realize how shockingly common sexual assault is, as well as how often it goes unreported. Many victims of sexual assault, primarily women, shared as much of their stories as they desired and spread awareness and appreciation for survivors with the hashtag “#MeToo.” The emotions these stories triggered caused a massive shift in the mindset surrounding sexual assault, allowing it to be taken more seriously. The movement not only reminds all individuals to be more vigilant regarding potential sexual encounters, but it also helps survivors feel safer speaking up about their own experiences and starts a conversation about why sexual assault is wrong. This movement is redemptive in that it targets a specific group, individuals who do not have or do not want to have an understanding of sexual boundaries and respect, and seeks radical change in behavior within the public sphere, the workplace in particular (Conley 2013). The movement started and trended on social media, and ultimately created – and is still creating – social change.
The three stages of a social movement happen much faster through social media. A social movement is defined by Conley as “collective behavior that is purposeful, organized, and institutionalized but not ritualized.” The first stage of a social movement is emergence, occurring when “the social problem being addressed is first identified” (Conley 2013). Typically there is some kind of trigger event that gains a lot of recognition in the media; for example, the #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) movement was sparked by the death of Trayvon Martin. This tragedy got people talking about and fighting police brutality against black individuals and racial inequality in general. As Boots Riley mentions in his interview with Amy Goodman, “things like the Black Lives Matter movement, the publicizing of all of these events, has educated the jurors” (Democracy Now 2015). Publicity, education, and attention regarding black lives have been attained through social media and have created change, even if it is not yet obvious. The second stage is coalescence, in which “resources are mobilized around the problems outlined in the first stage” (Conley 2013). This is the stage in which definitive action is taken. In BLM, this took the form of street protests where many people came together to challenge the continuation of racially motivated police killings. These protests were organized through social media, and in the name of a movement that was created on social media. The virtual space for conversation ended up fostering a physical space for action. The third and final stage of a social movement is routinization, in which the movement is “institutionalized and a formal structure develops to promote the cause” (Conley 2013). The gay rights movement, unlike BLM, has reached this stage as formal structure through organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign has developed to support the cause. Social media has demonstrated its ability to control the first stage of a social movement, emergence, and ultimately spark the motivation for change and make it happen.
Individuals are heavily socialized by social media, which has the ability to positively alter prior socialization that may be problematic. I have referenced only a few examples of incidents in which misogyny, racism, and homophobism have been challenged through social media in order to create social change. While these issues have existed throughout history, social media allows individuals who are targeted due to their identity share their experiences with the world and advocate for change. The relatability and empathy that these stories spark create a desire for social change. Boots Riley and a large portion of society are aware of
existing injustices and want to take part in changing them. This requires a lot of information
about how to reach an end goal of equality, and access to social media means access to information – a tool for social change.