Hi everyone,
For this new semester, my inquiry question will be: What’s the role of the media in current social movements?
I’m interested in learning more about it because since I started to gain an interest in sociology and social movements, I’ve always noticed how the media, especially social media, shapes our perceptions of the world and our community. I especially noticed this with the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement in 2020 and how information about police brutality started to reach more people as information spread on social media.
However, I’ve also seen how the media can spread false or questionable information, which leads to (what I consider) negative social movements. For example, during the pandemic, many people used their platforms on different kinds of media to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories, which increased the anti-vaccination movement. This negatively impacted our society by lowering vaccination rates and increasing the possibility of the resurgence of preventable diseases.
I’ve excited to research more about the media and its impact on today’s social movements and write about it!
Sofia B.
Hi Sofia ,
This question really intrigued me as it is so pertinent in todays society.The first thing that comes to my mind when reading “the role of the media in current social movements” was the arab spring and how social media was utilized in this social movement/revolution. I think that that could be an interesting aspect to look into , as well as the more recent social movement currently happening in Iran.Good luck with your future Blog posts , here are some links that could help you in your research.
-Sammie
https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2020/06/the-role-of-social-media-in-social-movements
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/09/americans-think-social-media-can-help-build-movements-but-can-also-be-a-distraction/
https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2012/11/28/role-social-media-arab-uprisings/
Hi Sofia,
I think your question is really fascinating, and I am excited to see your project grow. I have also wondered the impacts media has on the way people view many important subjects and matters.
Here are some links that I hope can help you!
https://edubirdie.com/examples/role-of-social-media-in-enhancing-the-social-movements/
https://online.maryville.edu/blog/a-guide-to-social-media-activism/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/technology/social-media-protests.html
Best of luck with all your research and future posts!
-Natalie:)
Hi Sofia! This question is really relevant to everything going on in the world these days! I also agree with how most times because social media is accessible to many people, that the false opinions of others, and thoughts end up changing the world for the worst, but it would be very interesting to know exactly how impactful negative perspectives can change the key point of a movement!
Good luck on your research, and hope to see more of your posts!!
-Negar