During times of reform, many people go to social media in an effort to spread information and join numerous movements. With over 3.8 billion people having some type of account on social media according to smartinsights.com, utilizing social media is an effective way to inform and communicate with others across the world. With protests taking place globally, petitions being signed, countless volunteer services and more, the purpose of social media activism is prevalent now more than ever as a way to promote change within our society.

Over the past two weeks, activist’s posts have flooded social media, informing others about various petitions, donations, and more in relation to the Black Lives Matter Movement. Though many people view sharing these posts as merely following a trend, it is important that everyone uses their platform to share this important information, regardless if the post has already been shared by other accounts. Change is promoted through educating others to join the movement, and to do this, it’s crucial to utilize your platform to post information in an effort to promote change. 

Social media activism is representative of the culture of Generation Z. With Gen Z growing up alongside the rise of social media, we have set the example of how to utilize these platforms to promote change and educate others while doing it. 

Celebrities who have amassed millions of followers on social media play a big part in spreading information to people globally. Throughout this past month, many celebrities have shared posts on their platforms in relation to the Black Lives Matter Movement including Halsey, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Gigi Hadid, and more. The posts that these accounts share can have a powerful effect on how information is spread, making it pivotal that people with a large following are posting in order to create change. 

The influence of social media activism across different platforms is not only beneficial to others when you share a post on your account, but also on a personal level. To promote change, it is most important to educate yourself. Sharing posts on social media is a great way to start spreading crucial information regarding various reform movements, but it’s only the beginning of creating change. It’s important to remember that posting something is a good start, but the only way change will be put into effect is by each of us taking action. By posting on your individual platform as well as looking into other posts people are sharing, opportunities can be created to immerse yourself into new areas you might not have been aware of before. 

Though posting on social media may seem like something small and unimportant, the posts being shared can have an astounding effect in influencing others to share posts as well as take action. Social media is the platform that allows people to become educated and educate others, which is the only way change can happen.