Social Media is for Idiots…And so is Charity?
When people say that “social media is for idiots”, they reduce everything it does and allows it to sink to the level of idiocy. Social media is just a platform. People can choose to use it in a variety of ways. If the phrase “social media is for idiots”, doesn’t seem like a radical statement, then replace ‘social media’ with some of the many aspects that it provides a platform for.
Here are 7 points showing how “social media is for idiots”.
1. Community is for idiots
People from all over the world use social media to build a community of like-minded people. No longer bound by physical space, someone in Germany can brag about football to all their English mates with a push of a button and vice versa, although that’s not very likely on current form. And by current form, I mean decades (England aren’t very good at football). Social media takes away the barriers of time and space when it comes to shared discussion. You can find people talking about a variety of topics and connect with them without leaving your house. Simply put, people like to be able to keep in touch with friends and family. You’re more likely to comment under your friends post on social media that call them out of the blue. Social media allows for less awkward, more regular interactions.
2. Charity is for idiots
Charity comes in many forms, but the essential thing about charity is that people need to become aware of a good cause. The truth is, once enough people become aware, they tend to give without expectation, whether its money or participating in something that brings awareness to a cause. The famous #icebucketchallenge of 2014 raised millions for ALS charity organisation which happened because of the viral nature of the campaign. It’s not just campaigns by charities, but by individuals asking for donations so that they can avoid being kicked out of their accommodation or food to survive the week. This sort of charity might only help one person but that one person might not have been able to find help anywhere else but from the “idiots” of social media.
3. Laughing is for idiots
As a source of endless entertainment, social media is second to none. From funny videos and comedic trending topics to hilarious articles, there is a constant stream of content that you and your friends can share with each other. It’s a great way to pass time while you’re on a commute to work or just having a quiet night in. The combination of text with pictures and videos leaves users with a variety of ways to share and express with each other. You don’t know how creative people are until you see the amount of entertainment than can be packed into a couple of minutes of video footage.
4. News is for idiots
Social media is fast becoming a place where many people go to find out the latest news. Young people between the ages of 18 to 24 particularly have cited that social media is where they prefer to get their news as opposed to older technology like television. There is an immediacy to social media that means people can report news first-hand before traditional news outlets can. The immediacy of the news that breaks on social media can have its downsides admittedly with stories not being verified before spreading. Traditional news outlets also use social media to update users, while journalists also have their own social media accounts. They use these to update their followers and engage in discussions that they would not have had the tools to do without social media. Also, it’s not all bad news. There are good news stories that become viral, like this one of a teacher with unique handshakes for all of his students.
5. Working is for idiots
Social media isn’t just for fun. Plenty of people, from freelance journalists on Twitter to fitness models on Instagram, social media has become a new platform for people to promote their talents and make money.
6. Activism is for idiots
With social media came new ways for activist organisations to form and grow. From the Arab Spring revolution of 2011 that sprung on Facebook, to the #blacklivesmatter movement that has been involved in protests against police violence, including the killing of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and many others that have been caught on video and have become viral. Also the recent addition of #noDAPL which arose in support of the Native Americans who are protecting water and protesting the planned insertions of oil pipelines. People who use social media are more likely to know of specific causes and therefore more likely to become engaged in them according to this pew report.
7. Social media is for idiots
If using social media for any of these things makes a person an idiot, then I do declare proudly, that social media is the land of idiots.
With thanks to Naomi Gilad
