Social Media for Social Justice!

 An interesting prompt this week was on the use of social media for social justice. The onset of social media has provided people with dynamic access to a wider audience, making outreach for social movements easier than ever.

The potency of these platforms were on show even as early as the 2010s, where social media was used effectively to organize and raise awareness around political issues, and reach out to the international audience on their experiences on the ground during the Arab Springs Uprising. More recently, social movements such as the BLM movement and #LoveWins have once again demonstrated how social media can be harnessed to drive social change.

Closer to home, social vigilantism has also been greatly apparent in my home of Singapore. On Facebook, we have a page Road Vigilante SG which is used to call out people who use public roads recklessly and dangerously, even becoming a page the traffic police turn to get more information on accidents. More strikingly, social media has been used to dredge up the topic of racial inequality and religious disharmony among the citizens (If you are interested in learning more, I have attached some links). This suggests that the social fabric of racial harmony that my country is so proud of might be weaker than we initially imagined. 

Such topics are important to address, and raise awareness to issues traditionally swept under the carpet due to a lack of "hype" generated over these issues. 

Links: 

https://www.prestigeonline.com/sg/pursuits/art-culture/minority-experiences-in-singapore-local-instagram-accounts-spotlighting-truths-about-racism-and-social-inequality/

https://www.lifestyleasia.com/sg/living/people/instagram-accounts-spotlighting-minorities-in-singapore/