The Social Media ‘Verse Needs a Social Good Upgrade
Social media companies and their followers need a revolution of mind. It is time for #resistance to tyranny and destruction in our world and we need all of you to rally. Specifically we need you to carry the torches we resistance fighters are lighting.
As a culture we need to stop burying our heads in the sand and we need to start fighting, collectively, for our future. More important than the Internet of things is the Internet of people. In our current climate of chaos and conflict, we need people to lend us their voices and their unique platforms for change. It’s about culture change towards a world of people who are informed, care a great deal, and are willing to stand up for and promote what we all know is right. We need advocates. We need all of you to help keep the issues and solutions in our world top of mind.
For one thing, we need you social media giants to start promoting worthwhile causes and the social good. I know, I know, I know that everyone cares about the old guy who just got his ear pierced on TV. And how incredible that someone vandalized the Hollywood sign so it now says Hollyweed! People take social media breaks and want something light and frothy to cleanse their overworked palates.
But Facebook, look at what you do. I know you care, too, but you are telling our world what is important to you by what you choose to promote or not promote. You probably don’t want to choose sides. But our culture is about more than celebrities and politics and I know there are other things trending that are truly important, like humanitarian disasters, climate issues, and threats to our democracy. Or to keep it more positive, stories of people creating and building wonderful things could be promoted. In short, I think you make assumptions about your audiences, creating echo chambers of frankly banal content that people can chew on all day, while you serve the masses the ads that make you the most money. Why not give back by offering ads to social good efforts and causes? Or brainstorming all of the other things you could potentially do to create a better world?
Medium, how I love thee, but you don’t do much promotion for us impoverished writers who might not have broad, mainstream appeal. You’re active on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, but your streams are barely a trickle. What do you care about? How can we convince you to amplify our voices? What can you do to possibly connect us to paid writing opportunities or positions where we can write for a larger audience? I am also concerned about what you promote and don’t promote in your editor’s picks and top stories. There is really great, mind-bending, earth-shattering content on Medium and I would encourage you to take the time to seek it out and promote it.
Twitter, sorry, but you are part of the problem, too. You are a social media platform, but for many you are also a news source. One of the most reliable in fact, as we devotees know that is where we can find the ‘real news’ about just about anything. At this very moment, Native Americans are freezing to death protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline Project. There is genocide in Syria, Yemen, and other locations. Our south pole has warmed up by 34 degrees this last year. It appears that the Russians staged a uniquely digital age coup against us. But unless we go digging into the hashtags we don’t see and hear the voices. It’s part of the ‘there is nothing to see here’ trend that causes us to look away from those issues and people who need us most of all.
LinkedIn, I think you do a pretty good job, so I am giving you an A-. But I do think there are some things you can do to be more inclusive and reflect the diversity of all of the voices out there. For one, most of your editor’s and category picks are written by influencers with thousands if not tens of thousands of followers. It would be great if you could also seek out and promote content created by less well represented populations: women, minorities, the disabled, LGBTQ, the elderly, veterans, non-Westerners, and those who have eschewed traditional paths in career and business. Those sorts of boosts can be life changing for those of us under your radar.
Celebrities and other fancy people, we need you to use your platform of fame to promote the causes that are important to all of us. Your voices reach the masses. Some of you already do a great job, but I think many of you can do more. If you don’t have time to resist and promote what you know is right, hire someone!
Crowdfunding sites like Patreon, can you please create new categories for activism and social good/social entrepreneurship efforts? We need people to rally around our causes, but we need the exposure for it to radically contribute to our efforts. I would love to scale my efforts by hiring other people, but I need funding to do so.
Social media audiences, please try to remember that social is a participatory medium. We vote with our clicks and those of us who are resisting day in and day out need your support. Consider giving humanity the gift of your attention or at least try to support those who work tirelessly on the issues confronting humanity.
Here are the small things you can do each and every day. If we all start doing these things, we promote as a culture what really matters.
- Like or recommend things. That little click takes about 2 seconds and is feedback that we are on the right track.
- Comment on things, but please keep it polite. Comments are, in fact, my very favorite thing. I make it a point to respond to all comments, too (as long as they are constructive) so if you want to converse, that is the way!
- Share things. Share to your page, your stream, and to groups that might be interested. We need people that we can pass the baton to and when you share it tells us that you found real value in what we created.
- Promote people who are doing work you think is important. Seek them out, read, listen or watch what they are creating and then share. In other words, show us your love!
- Connect creators to those who might be able to utilize their talents in either paid or volunteer endeavors. We are in service to these causes and love connecting with like-minded people.
- If you can, there is no pressure, donate to our Patreon campaigns or tip jars. Many of us now resist and advocate as a full-time job and well, our busy brains require sustenance on a regular basis.
The bottom line is, spend a bit of time each day doing whatever you can! It eventually adds up.
#JoinTheResistance #Resist #OurResistance
About Lisa Galarneau, Ph.D: I am a socio-cultural anthropologist, futurist, US Army veteran, and mother. I am also the founder of the Planetary Liberation Front — A Revolution of Mind. We’re looking for contributors, so please contact me if you’re interested! Or join us on Facebook!
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