Poverty and social media: the right weapon for the fight?
October 18, 2011
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Last October, Malcolm Gladwell wrote an article for the New Yorker stating in no uncertain terms that social media could not change the world.
He argued that while Facebook and Twitter might be powerful ways of spreading quick information to a whole lot of (initiated) people, when it came to fighting injustice and effecting real change on an issue, the internet was never going to be the almighty weapon, the great demos, that people spoke about. “Arm-chair activism” might make us feel like we are taking a stand, but it wouldn’t get people out on the streets, it wouldn’t oust a leader, and it wouldn’t feed the world.
Given the events that we have seen this year, has Gladwell been proved wrong? Can real world revolutions start in a newsfeed?
Picking a new battle
Yesterday was International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and the theme this year is “working together out of poverty”. This got us thinking about the role that social media can, or is playing, in the fight. It’s something that organisations at the coalface have already begun to explore, and you’ve probably noticed some interesting campaigns over the past couple of years. Two core uses of social media in this field are becoming clear:
1: Getting the message out
An obvious one. Anti-poverty NGOs and campaign teams are present on Facebook and Twitter, and their campaigns have started to centre around creating a bigger reach by getting people to spread a message to their own networks – sharing videos, using branded banners on their website or even just putting Twibbons on their profile pictures.
A good example is Unicef’s Let’s Share What We Can campaign, and socialmedia4good has some great advice and ideas on social media campaigning.
From an EU perspective, Social Europe and ECHO both have a strong presence online and communicate effectively through social media, and particularly video, about specific issues related to poverty and the European projects that are tackling them.
2: Assistance on the ground
This is a little more interesting. A number of projects have started that aim to use social media to empower and support people working and living in the world’s poorest regions. From information on where to go for assistance, where is or isn’t safe to travel, to Google’s disaster support that allows people to search for relatives in an affected region, social and new media are lending valuable and practical assistance when developed in the right way.
Have a look at the MAP Kibera project on Storify.
Fighting with a double-edged sword
The obvious criticism that can be levelled at online campaigning is that it’s easy to click a button and sign up to a newsletter, but that doesn’t effect much change in real life. It’s definitely arguable, and mountains won’t always be moved by a Twitter post. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing – there are some good arguments and examples in this Guardian tech blog about how small changes can escalate and move from online to offline.
The less obvious, but more powerful criticism that is beginning to emerge is that social media and the communication revolution might actually be widening the gap, or digital divide, between the rich and the poor, developed and developing nations. Access to computers and to internet connections, never mind Wi-Fi or broadband, isn’t available to millions of people in the world, including those in developed nations. The conversation about them is mostly happening without them, and rather than act as the great equaliser, the internet just cements the roles of heroes and victims.
What makes it work
The successful use of social media in protest and revolution this year hinged largely on the people on the ground being given a voice and a mechanism for expression and collective action. When it comes to the fight against poverty, could empowering people with the tools to make the right changes for themselves make the real-world difference? It has already begun in Africa, with a new generation of “tigers” finding a voice online
There is undoubtedly a long way to go, and arguments to be had along the way. How we use social media is up to all of us, and we’re all still learning. What stands out, however, is that spread of information can and does lead to new ideas and innovations. The change might not happen on Twitter, but the ideas might start there. And the more that people are given a voice, the closer we might come to making real solutions, online and offline.
Do you think that social media can make a real difference in the fight against poverty? Will it be your weapon?
Looking forward to hearing what you think!
Amy
Trainee, Social Media Team
Twitter: @AmyJColgan
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October 25th, 2011 at 12:41 am
Awesome, I referenced this in a post for my sociology class:
http://socialmediaandsociology.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/poverty-and-social-media-%E2%80%94-problem-solver-or-empty-promises/
October 25th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
That’s a very interesting post, Garrett. Actually it made me think of a term we seem to keep coming back to in the EU blogosphere, namely “slacktivism” as opposed to activism/clicktivism. Maybe you can find the term useful.
You do express that you are for this or that cause with a click, but a) the ‘Like” doesn’t transform into an action in the physical world and b) because of the digital divide the “receiver” of your sympathy won’t know about your support.
//Anne