4.5 It’s Not All Bad

It’s important to remember that social media platforms are tools that are used by us. They can be used for negative things, or they can be used for positive change. Social media makes it easy to spread disinformation, but it also makes it easy to fundraise for a good cause (O’Leary, 2022). In both instances, social media extends the reach of the message. Both the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements used social media to bring people together for socially progressive causes that were not reliably covered by traditional news media (O’Leary, 2022). Social media is an important tool for Black Americans to get involved with social causes that are important to them (Auxier, 2022). Black Americans also say that social media tools can be used to keep those in power accountable for their actions (Auxier, 2022).

There are other positive examples for the use of social media in our everyday lives. They are tools for interacting with family and friends, for finding people with similar interests, for scheduling, and for emotional support (Schimmele et al., 2021). Can you think of other examples of social media positively impacting a community?