The views, insights and opinions expressed below are of the author(s) and are not Accountable Now’s. We are proud to amplify a range of diverse voices that help shape, challenge and push our work as well as the sector as a whole to “do good better.”
In the 20 years since AN has been founded, youth engagement has changed in many ways. A big one of course, is with the rise of social media. It has been helpful, it has been harmful, and in this Insight, I’m diving into just a few of the key pieces, from the perspective of a young person myself. I’m by no means an expert in social media, but I have a lot of personal experience, and research, to draw on.
Activism has long been central to youth culture. The Civil Rights movement, the Arab Spring, and the protests against the Vietnam War each saw young people at the forefront of social change. Today’s civil society landscape has undoubtedly impacted youth engagement; from funding cuts to increasing global instability, young people face numerous challenges when it comes to making a difference. Nonetheless, in recent decades there has been an increase in youth-led protests. From the School Strikes for Climate and the Black Lives Matter movement to the anti-corruption ‘Gen Z’ protests in Bangladesh and Nepal, it is evident that young people are continuing to take action. However, it is not only the state of civil society that has changed. In recent decades, rapid transformations in technology have shaped the way that young people engage with activism, as well as the organisation and outreach of movements. Whilst this global interconnectivity has facilitated international social movements, is social media always a tool for good?
The rise in global social media usage has changed how social movements operate, providing a low-cost communication tool to spread information worldwide in minutes. The Arab Spring of 2010/11, known as the ‘Facebook Revolution’, was one of the first movements to use social media as a tool for rallying and mobilising large groups of people. A study by Joud Walid for the Kings Research think tank found that almost 85% of Egyptians and 86% of Tunisians used social media to spread awareness, organise actions, and manage activists during the peak of the movement. However, some argue that too much emphasis is placed on the role of social media when evaluating the success of these uprisings, noting that a long history of traditional activism built the foundation for the movements to take place. Whilst this was likely the case, social media still acted as a vital communication tool which allowed for a level of discretion and anonymity in high-risk zones.
Social media has been used in every large-scale movement since the Arab Spring. For example, #BlackLivesMatter was created in 2013 in Florida, USA, following the acquittal of the murderer of seventeen year old Trayvon Martin. It later became a global movement to end systemic racism, mobilising protests across Europe, Australia, Japan, and Brazil. At its peak in 2020, an estimated 15 to 20 million people participated in #BlackLivesMatter protests in the USA alone, making it one of the largest movements in US history. Similarly, #FridaysForFuture began with one teenager, Greta Thunberg, sitting outside the Swedish Parliament to demand action against climate change. By 2019, it had become one of the largest global coordinated protests in history, with around 4 million participants across 163 countries. These movements demonstrate how social media has become a tool for globalising social movements and uniting young people around shared challenges. It is used to organise and inform actions as well as to map trends within movements. Even so, there remain significant concerns regarding youth engagement on digital platforms.
As mentioned earlier, some argue that the role of social media in the Arab Spring is overemphasised, leaving the groundwork that preceded the uprisings understated. The same could be said for other movements; when the success or scale of a movement is pinned to digital platforms and hashtags, it risks understating the work of activists on the streets, or even of the issue itself. Malcolm Gladwell in The New Yorker argues that true social change is brought about by “high-risk activism”, which social media activism generally is not. Social media allows for easy participation, and rallying under a hashtag does not require the same dedication as physical, potentially risky in-person rallies. Consequently, young people are often criticised for ‘hopping on trends’ rather than showing true dedication to change. Digital activism is frequently dismissed as a ‘tick-box’ exercise involving sharing an image or a hashtag before returning to daily life, in turn, these easy actions do not create radical change but instead suggest a lack of commitment. However, through my own experience as a young activist, this does not seem to be accurate. #FridaysForFuture, #BLM, and #MeToo are all examples of how digital awareness manifested into physical rallies. It is important that young activists view social media as a tool for organisation and awareness to support a movement, rather than as the movement itself.
There are also real concerns regarding the mental health of young people engaging in digital activism. Many feel that the constant stream of posts about global crises causes increased anxiety and stress. This is worsened by algorithms, which make it difficult to step away from social issues without switching off the phone entirely. Some argue that this anxiety has improved participation, with climate activists describing rallies as a matter of life or death;others argue that young people should feel a sense of urgency and anger to drive change. However, it is vital to balance activism with personal wellbeing. According to the Pew Research Center, 69% of Gen Z social media users feel motivated when they see content addressing climate change, and 37% say social media makes them feel anxious about the future. This data raises a key question: how can young activists use social media to raise awareness without inducing debilitating stress?
Finally, the wide reach and accessibility of social media activism raise concerns regarding accountability. With the prevalence of fake news and AI-generated content, misinformation can be detrimental to a movement. Since anyone can create and share content on behalf of a cause, there is often a discrepancy in defining goals, objectives, and shared values. While social media allows for massive participation and grassroots engagement, it also creates multiple, unmonitored channels of communication. It is essential that social movements clearly state their strategies, objectives, and values to hold themselves accountable before encouraging mass participation.
Whilst social media has created several challenges for young activists, it has also created immense opportunities. As a young activist, the majority of my own experiences have been facilitated through social media communication. However, my recent work in accountability has encouraged me to think more critically about social media’s role in youth engagement, and the risks that could be associated with it. Overall, I do believe that stricter fact-checking and mental health measures should be put in place to protect young activists and the integrity of their work as social media continues to be a powerful tool for youth engagement and collective action.
Accountable Now strives towards Dynamic Accountability, using the 12 Commitments as a foundation for ensuring good practices across the civil society sector. These Commitments (which include People-Driven Work, Empowered Staff and Volunteers, and Advocating for Fundamental Change) are embedded into all areas of our work. So how do our Members incorporate these principles into their own digital practices?
World YWCA is a movement advocating for global women’s rights and gender equity. With a focus on amplifying young women’s voices, they provide an excellent guide for creating safe virtual spaces. This guide highlights the benefits of virtual spaces, particularly following the Covid-19 pandemic, as an accessible platform to share personal experiences and reach out for support. World YWCA discusses the value in having conversations around women’s issues in breaking down the stigma and barriers surrounding them. These guidelines state that virtual safe spaces should be accessible, containing accurate and reliable information, encourage intergenerational cooperation, and dignity and respect. They encourage those looking to create a virtual safe space to consider issues such as cyber bullying and confidentiality online. World YWCA promotes a vision of using virtual spaces for good, and provides clear steps for young people to create them.
World Scouting, together with five other leading youth organisations, including World WYCA, published a report of policy recommendations titled ‘Young People Championing Post-Pandemic Futures’. In this report, they recommend stricter regulations on Social Media to protect young people’s mental health. They also recommend the adoption of ‘humane algorithms’ to reduce anxiety and social media addiction in young people.
Another Member, Restless Development which is focused on global youth-led change, completed a report with the Centre for Countering Digital Hate to research misinformation on social media following the Covid-19 pandemic. The report found that of 649 posts reported to the social media platforms for sharing false claims and conspiracy theories, only 9.4% of them had action taken against them, the rest were left untouched. This type of research is essential in encouraging young people to think critically about the information that they see and share on social media. Restless Development have shared their own set of guidelines for engaging in their online spaces. These promote values of respect and collaboration in digital spaces.
Accountable Now is committed to promoting a more just, equitable & accountable world. Do you have a story to share that demonstrates how organizations can strengthen their Dynamic Accountability practices?