Social media is a tool for change, not just for ‘slacktivism’

Urjita Mainali, Contributing Writer

It is rare for major headlines from my family’s country of origin, Nepal, to make it into Western news outlets. The last time I recall people from outside Nepal discussing the country was in 2015, during the deadly earthquakes that shook the nation. So when headlines broke this month that 19 demonstrators were killed in anti-corruption protests, I immediately went looking for answers. 

My family members told me about the corruption in the Nepali government. When we discussed how citizens dismantled the unjust system and elected a new prime minister through a radically transparent platform (Discord), I was struck by how each of my family members said the same thing: “I hope that Nepal moves in the right direction now.”

I feel bad for how cynical I’ve become. I am so used to expecting elders to be resistant to youth movements — especially those taking more radical forms. Perhaps it was because they grew up witnessing the decades of unrest following the Nepalese Civil War, so they were cognizant, understanding and supportive of the protesters’ demands. 

In the aftermath, I saw TikTok videos where protestors mourned not only the lives lost, but the destruction to the country they love. They were optimistic that the fight for their future would move in the right direction. I saw videos of locals returning to the streets not just to celebrate atop them, but to help clean them. 

Watching through my phone a hemisphere away, I feel that same hope for all the young people risking their careers, relationships and lives to create change right here in the United States. 

For better or worse, the age of social media has created a multifaceted, pervasive tool for finding and creating advocacy spaces, particularly among younger activist groups. Before social media, people were subject to the censorship of the systems they were fighting against and were limited to their local audience. Now they can reach hundreds of thousands of people in minutes. While censorship is still occurring online, overall it has expanded not only what we can share but who gets to see it. 

During the protests in Nepal, TikTok user @WeHateTheCold inadvertently became an amateur journalist by documenting the protests. Palestinian journalists are also utilizing TikTok and Instagram to document the genocide in Gaza. Activists across the world are using platforms to amplify marginalized voices and inform their followers about the reality of world events and social issues. 

Despite this, many young people are criticized for using social media in their activism. 

I’ve shared this sentiment myself — “slacktivism,” a term that refers to interacting with social justice content online without committing to actual change, is a very real issue. There is nothing inherently wrong with sharing and liking advocacy posts. Still, a problem arises when an individual uses these actions solely to satisfy their moral compass and does not pursue any direct action. 

For Generation Z especially, social media and the internet are more than just online platforms — they are an extension of our real lives. It seems obvious that it would be a vital part of our fight to see genuine social change in our lifetimes. That change is impossible to achieve, though, unless we develop ways to translate reposts and likes into tangible political action. 

This is easier said than done, but the protests in Nepal demonstrate that it is not only possible, but potentially world-changing. 

You can’t save the world by scrolling, but doing so might just show you how you can.