The internet, namely social media, is now a widely used tool in the discussion of social issues. Networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram allow people to view all sides of different issues, as well as to share their own opinions and spread images and video.

Video-sharing is a part of social media that shows viewers visuals depicting many of these issues. Videos involving police brutality remain an important part of an online discussion regarding militaristic policing and racism. The recorded deaths of Eric Garner, Philando Castile, and many others have spurred conversation regarding the connection between these two things.

Senior Heather Babin said that she feels that, “If people want to watch these videos because it’s the only way they’ll understand what’s going on, that’s fine. But if they can gain information in other forms about the same murders, such as Twitter threads or online articles, these are far better resources than the exploitation of death for attention/retweets, with captions that guilt trip people into watching events that may be seriously harmful to their mental health.” Babin added that, “these videos being shared constantly is desensitizing people to the fact that those being killed or harmed by the police are real people, not just viral videos and hashtags.”

Various cases of sexual assault have also been either recorded or photographed and shared online. A senior who would like to remain anonymous said that she feels that this is “a huge violation of privacy.”

Hashtags, used to group posts about specific topics, have amplified various causes, such as through the tags #BlackLivesMatter, #SayHerName, and #BisexualVisibilityDay.

This internet activism enables faster communication that is representative of different angles while also reaching large audiences. It has, however, been criticized as not being conducive to actual change. “Slacktivism” is a term describing online actions performed in support of a political or social cause but which require little time or commitment. Senior Michael Spooner said that he feels that social media is useful for “raising awareness and educating.”

“It is easier to get your point across but not as effective for making change,” said Spooner. He went on to say that before Twitter, he “didn’t know a lot about social issues,” but now is more knowledgeable about issues such as “sexuality, gender identity, and feminism” through tweets.

Senior Cyrus Belsoi said he agrees with social media activism “to an extent” because people sometimes use it “as a place to work off emotion rather than always using logic.” He said that people can fix this by “looking at the bigger picture and understanding different points of view.”

Social media, while monitored, has few rules restricting language, making harassment and “trolling” an issue for people who aim to use these platforms seriously. A junior who wished to remain anonymous said that he is “not in support of social activism at all.” He added that he thinks “slandering,” “popping off,” and “calling someone out for the whole public” is ineffective.

Many prominent community and government leaders, including former Baltimore mayoral candidate and Ferguson protestor Deray Mckesson, have social media accounts that convey their positions as well as offer a means of connection with other people online. Furthermore, social media has even been used as a tool by presidential candidates, with both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton engaging back and forth on Twitter.