Social Media for a Cause

Posted on by Mackenzie Silvia

People are quick to judge and claim that younger generations, such as my own, are extremely disconnected and struggle with human interaction due to technology. Speaking from my own experience, it is safe for me to say that social media has kept me more informed about not only what is going on with my friends and family, but also what is going on in the world.

One example of how social media is bringing the world closer together, is through the emergency response rates that have been skyrocketing through Twitter. As Hurricane Irma currently tears through Florida, people who are trapped have been told to use the hashtag #IrmaSOS and Emergency Responders will follow up with them. Twitter has become a central platform for people all over the world to communicate, and in this case, unite as one to help people in need.

Social Media platforms are also used as ways to organize meet-ups that would be hard to plan without technology. For example, just a few weeks ago I participated in a peaceful march in Boston, MA. I used Twitter as the main platform to get all of the information and details, as well as to share it will my followers. Through information given from Twitter, people from all over Massachusetts and other states were able to find out important information and come participate in the march.

Being a member of the iSchool, I often read through Infospace, the iSchool’s blog. I dug pretty deep and actually found an article titled “The Power of Technology to Unite People in Times of Tragedy” which discusses in depth the role that Social Media played in the Boston Bombings and how it helped to unite and heal Boston. Social Media has and continues to unite people all over the world.

3 thoughts on “Social Media for a Cause”

  1. I love how you talked about your own experience in this post. It’s so awesome how Twitter is able to bring large groups of people together in person! Your Irma section was interesting too. It would be cool if you also talked about how successful the hashtag was and how many people used it. Hashtags for emergency response sound great in theory but I’m curious to know what the response rate is and how many people were able to find help by using it.

  2. Mackenzie, I really enjoyed your blog post and I think it hit on some really great points that emphasize why social media has actually impacted our generation for the better. I like how you incorporated two different examples that showed how broad and specific a hashtag can be and how it can impact so many people, even if they are not in the same area. I thought your personal example really showed how specific groups can be truly impactful on Twitter. Many times social media can be looked at in a negative way, but your post was a great reminder of how important Twitter and other social media platforms can be in certain instances.

  3. Mackenzie,

    I really appreciated your insights on social media and how it can bring people together. I’m super passionate about bringing people together through communications and I thought your experiences in Boston totally exemplified that. More power to you! (And social media)

    It’ll be interesting to see how things change based upon everything going on in the world.

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