In the age of social media, people of all walks of life are actively engaging in online communities of all types with the express purpose of political activism. Facebook was the main platform used to coordinate the Arab Spring uprisings, though protesters also engaged on Twitter, Reddit and a handful of other platforms. Social media also played a major role in the recent events in Egypt and Libya.
Social media enables users and groups to interact in real time – a feature that is necessary for overt activism. However, social media platforms like Twitter also stream the most up-to-date headlines and news directly to users’ timelines. In fact, many Twitter users get the hottest headlines before many main stream media outlets get them. Journalists are becoming more dependent on platforms, such as Reddit and Twitter, to identify potential leads and hot stories.
Twitter vs. Facebook
Facebook is an excellent platform for sharing information with friends, family and colleagues. However, many outspoken activists have discovered the hard way that Facebook as a platform is not tolerant of all ideas. Just ask Governor Mike Huckabee about his Chik-Fil-A campaign in 2013. Pages dedicated to political programs and events that are contrary to politically correct thought will likely be taken offline.
Many activists are concerned with Facebook’s tendency to silence speech that is not deemed “acceptable” by some appointed Facebook representative or committee. However, the mere existence of such censorship flies in the face of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. Incidentally, many political activists are Constitutionalists, and are vehemently opposed to ANY speech being summarily dismissed or silenced. Therefore, Facebook may not be the best platform for the activist to engage with others of like mind.
TCOT and UniteBlue
The two most popular political hashtags on Twitter are probably #TCOT and #UniteBlue. TCOT is an acronym for Top Conservatives on Twitter, and UniteBlue is a code name for Democratic and progressive activists. The quickest way to join the conversation is to perform a search for either of the hashtags, depending on your political persuasion. Save the search, then follow the posters whose content you appreciate. Tag your own pertinent tweets with hashtags so that others can find your posts, too.
Activism Knows No Age
Political activists on Twitter can be of any age or political leaning. One popular activist on the platform is 13 years old! Check out @BenjiBacker’s profile to see a young person on fire for his chosen cause. Seniors are another group that is growing exponentially on Twitter. The best part of the platform is the ease with which users can communicate directly with other Tweeps. A tweet to the local school board or the state representative for your area can get amazing results.
As more people realize the impact that social media can have on political institutions, politicians, advertisers, businesses and pundits, the more Twitter’s influence will be seen in our everyday lives.
If you have strong political views and haven’t yet joined Twitter, do so today and join the conversation. Your voice needs to be heard!