blue00phoenix
Call me Caitlyn
Caitlyn Rose PhoenixShe/TheyGenderfluid, Trans, lesbian(?)/bisexual(?)/pansexual(?), abrosexual(?), demiromantic, aceflux?, polyamourus(I so spelled that wrong) | i would like put fandoms here but i sorta lost track. | autistic, adhd, etcAO3:Blue00Phoenix https://en.pronouns.page/@blue00phoenix
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The devastating difference between how much time it takes to write something vs how fast people read it lol
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More Than a Hashtag: Generation Z and The Impact of Internet Activism
By Jennifer Alvarado and Layla Hussein
Image Credit: Megan Li
“Before the pandemic, we weren’t as involved and we were young. We knew what was going on, but we did not have a say. Now, everyone is becoming fearless during the pandemic,” Ebony Riley, a high school student in New Jersey explains.
As the coronavirus pandemic skyrocketed across the nation, the world witnessed a new age of activism, especially among Generation Z. With quarantine limiting opportunities to express our voices, the tech-savvy generation worked with what they already have: social media.
Online activism did not originate during the pandemic or with Generation Z, though. During the 1990s, the U.S. experienced its early stages of internet activism with the Lotus MarketPlace and its email-marketing database that contained information of over 120 million U.S. citizens. Although the internet was not as advanced as it is today, people used mass emailing as a campaign method to advocate for their privacy concerns.
In recent years before the pandemic, online activism was also seen with instances of police brutality. After 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, people used social media as an outlet to organize protests and disseminate information, with #Ferguson calling global attention to bring accountability to repressive forces. In the summer of 2020, online activism was at its peak with the murder of George Floyd, where people cried for justice through virtual petitioning and campaigning.
The pandemic amplified existing issues of systemic racism, climate change, mental health disparities, and more that awakened many people out of a state of normalcy and engaged more teenagers to activism. The nation witnessed a racial uprising following high-profile killings of Black citizens during the pandemic, some at the hands of law enforcement. In the midst of social distancing and quarantine, there was nothing left to do for most individuals but to utilize social media to express their voices.
Known as a casual posting platform, Instagram grew into a medium of social change to share information and action resources with visually engaging, condensed infographics. Additionally, TikTok flourished into an app that still preserves meme culture and viral dance trends, but acts as an opportunity for BIPOC creators to speak on issues, educate others, and bring radical change through 15 to 60-second videos.
Jackie James, an 18-year-old TikTok influencer with over 2 million followers, uses the app as a creative outlet to fight for social justice through satire. Indigenous TikToker Shina Nova similarly uses the app to educate her audience about Indigenous history, culture, and experiences.
The Impact of Online Activism on Generation Z
Due to social media and online activism, 16-year-old Skye-Ali Johnson has learned more about social justice and the Black community. She recently learned about the case of Tamla Horsford through an infographic on Instagram. “It’s unfortunate how this world is because there’s plenty of unfortunate events going on around here that are really tragic, so I just find that every day that I go on social media, I’m always learning about something new,” she says.
However, with so much content on social media, many teenagers expressed pressure to always be politically active.
“I feel pressure to be in-the-know all the time,” Mmachukwu Osisioma, a student from Tennessee, tells us. “Sometimes, I do not know 100% on a topic, but when people I know are engaged in the topic, I feel like I have to know a lot about that certain topic to be able to be friends with them or engage in conversations with them. That’s kind of hard, especially when the news is hard to read.”
17-year-old Yasmin Mustefa shares a similar feeling. “Through social media, there are always people who say ‘Why is nobody talking about this?’, ‘We need to speak up now!’ And I am like ‘Do I have to repost this?’, ‘Do I have to be vocal about this right now?’ And at those times, I step back and realize that I do not have to. But it is my responsibility to educate myself on a certain topic.”
When it comes to the individual perspective on internet activism, feelings can be much more internal, and the motives for spreading information may not be as calculated. “If I were to repost something, would it make a lot of a difference to my followers?” is a question Yasmin asks herself while dealing with the pressure of disseminating information. However, this is not something most big corporations ask themselves before posting something. Rather, they ask if it is something that will influence their portrayal in the media.
Blurring the Lines Between Performative and Genuine Activism
Social media has become a pivotal approach for not only Generation Z, but reputable companies, celebrities, politicians, and more to speak out on issues. However, many people argue that digital activism shared among reputable figures and companies is for the sake of conserving their public image.
This was seen in June of 2021, when members of the LGBTQIA+ community celebrated Pride Month. Many companies traditionally decorate their logo with rainbow-like colors, but transition to their original logo when pride month is over, suggesting that celebrating LGBTQIA+ folks occurs once a year. This is known to be rainbow capitalism, where companies contribute to the commercialization and commodification of LGBTQ+ movements, as well as the capitalization of queer struggles.
Many companies contribute to rainbow capitalism, despite being anti-LGBT. CVS, for example, decorated its logo with rainbow colors in an attempt to express allyship for the LGBTQ+ community, yet supports sponsors of anti-trans legislation in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. What’s more, AT&T once pledged to a Human Rights Campaign letter against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, yet made approximately 327 donations to 133 anti-LGBTQ+ legislators.
Along with the LGBTQ+ community, this is seen with the Black Lives Matter movement. Osisioma noted, “The NFL was in support of BLM, but they were not in support of the people taking a knee. I am like ‘you say one thing, but it is another.’ GAP supported BLM but very few percent of the company were actually Black. And they get money from this [supporting BLM]. People are like ‘GAP supports BLM, I should buy from them.’”
Teenagers have also expressed how infographics can be more focused on its aesthetic rather than the actual content, contributing more to performative activism.
“The pretty design and the fonts [of the infographics] make it hard for me to focus on the actual content. Sometimes the aesthetic is prioritized over the content. People spend hours on the infographics, trying to make the design feed into the feed, to make it look cute, to make people stop and read,” Osisioma shared.
Your Guide to Combating Misinformation
Due to the freedom that social media instills, it has become increasingly easy to upload and discuss information that is not completely truthful or accurate. This can, unfortunately, come as a big disadvantage for those who make no attempt to fact check and cross-reference.
As seen during the earlier stages of the pandemic, many were making an attempt to find a feasible cure for COVID-19 through the use of traditional medicine. This resulted in a series of rumors surrounding antidotes for the disease that only functioned to misinform people and create false speculations and hope.
Student journalist Skye-Ali Johnson provides advice for combating misinformation: “I do sometimes try to make sure that I go directly to the source and I look at, you know, what’s their expertise in this field? How knowledgeable are they on the subject? What’s their experience with the subject?” Having access to social media likely means equal access to search engines where you can conduct personal research that will lead you to a conclusion based on facts and evidence.
As a community that has grown at the same rate that technology evolves, Generation Z is on track to be the most well-educated generation yet. Generation Z has managed to battle against the constant cycles of misinformation in the media. “I started following those accounts [that share infographics], and that’s how I know more about social justice,” says Osisioma. This generation is making a successful attempt at managing both their future and the mental toll of so much tragedy. Access to information on current events is now at its peak thanks to online activism.
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imagine two mated wyrms twisting around each other, possessing an uncountable number of limbs, each claw of good or evil interlocked with its opposite, the coil twists further around itself into a skein of flesh. how i would describe DNA to a wizard
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nothing frustrates me more than when adults refuse to even slightly indulge the questions and thoughts of children. i remember one time when one of my younger cousins accidentally stumbled across the concept of purchasing power parity because she realised 10 rupees which bought her 10 candies in India only bought her ~3 candies when we went on holiday to Japan, and when she asked her mother about “why the same things cost different amounts in different places” my aunt had the audacity to call her spoiled for not understanding the “”worth” of money, that’s not what she was ASKING damn it!! your daughter just set up her own big mac index and realised a key metric of macroeconomics!!! how do you not find that utterly fascinating !! why don’t adults talk to children !!
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girl help I'm getting they/them'd by well-meaning people who don't know what a tomboy is
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Reblog to give prev a magical amulet that protects them from headache
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my flightless salamence has become quite accustomed to scuttling the fuck around. especially in parking lots. she reminds me of a wobbly golf cart with the bow of a sailing ship
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