Be Active!

Photo CC: By Esther Vargas

Social media is such a powerful tool, whether we realize it or not. Ideas that started in college dorm rooms are now some of the most powerful communication tools we as the human race have, connecting individuals from all over the world. Individuals with similar interests and passions, whether they live in small-town Nebraska, London, England, or Tokyo, Japan, are connected and are sharing and receiving ideas; ideas that could possibly better the human race as a whole. Therefore, in quoting Teen Vogue (there’s something I don’t do often!), “We’re connected by a community of interest, not geography.” Therefore, it’s because of this that millennials are creating widespread and successful movements with literally the click of a button. Something as simple as a tweet or a Facebook post can successfully create some type of spark that creates something so much bigger, so much more widespread, than “‘a person on the street, rallying or protesting'” (Teen Vogue). There are Twitter accounts and Facebook accounts completely dedicated to whatever activist group one may be seeking, and these groups are extremely successful. These provide places in which individuals can connect, socialize, discuss, debate, and bring to light issues that may be of some concern to a shared number of people. The more people realize these groups are out there, the more momentum they gain, and the more well-known and effective they become; becoming nationally or internationally known. The teen nominee I researched was a 15 year old from here in the U.S., and the movement is God Loves You. The focus of this movement is why one should stay strong despite what may be going on in an individual’s life. This movement utilizes Twitter, and tweets words of encouragement and success stories to it’s followers, which is very cool. I’ve myself personally become connected with two movements addressing something that I think is plaguing our society: pornography. There’s this movement called “Fight The New Drug,” in which it’s goal is to enlighten individuals about the harmful affects of pornography on the brain and relationships, and provides support and resources for those who want to get out. It’s a fantastic movement, and if anyone’s into the whole Christianity thing, xxxchurch is another great resource, essentially offering the same information and resources as Fight The New Drug. As I stated above, pornography (I feel) is very destructive to our society as a whole, and some of the key issues activist groups and individuals need to focus on are those substances and materials that are harming and are hurtful to our society.

To answer the last question, however, (kudos to you if you’ve read this all the way through!) I thought this module was incredibly interesting, as it discussed new pathways for individuals to make their voice heard in a society where it’s very difficult to be heard in the first place.