When looking at the ways in which social media helped to shape the March For Our Lives movement, we can view this movement as a ‘network movement’ (Manuel Castells p. 171), as social media allowed this movement to be viewed on a global platform.
Category: Social Media
We need to change the way we talk about radicalisation
In the media-soaked society we live in, the way we talk about radicalisation needs to change. Society today revolves around social media, most of the information we receive comes from these social networking platforms. Media are creating a way of looking and viewing certain members of the population, as often some people believe everything they read, especially when the information we receive is written by those in power.
Radicalisation: A 21st century problem?
For a long time, ‘radicalisation’ has been known as the term used to describe what goes on ‘before the bomb goes off’ (Sedgwick, 2010). However, as time has progressed, many more aspects of radicalisation have emerged, which are separate from terrorism. Unlike the majority of mainstream media would have us believe, the radical is not the same as the terrorist (Sedgwick, 2010); yet the terrorist is more than likely to always be a radical. Radicalisation has wormed its way into our everyday lives due to technological advancements and developments in social media, making extreme views appear more and more commonplace.
Is enough being done to prevent radicalisation?
Radicalisation is an ongoing issue threatening the safety of our country and those within it. The difficulty is to know how the government and society can remove the threats radicalisation can bring. With the UK arresting more suspected terrorists than any other country in Europe in 2017, the question remains: are we doing enough?
The best solution to terrorism is to lock them all up!
Despite the very clear title of my article – which, for reference, I do not believe in – this topic is not simple. Radicalisation is an issue that we face in today’s societal and political climate, prominently since 9/11 and the Western world’s’ ‘War on Terror’. There are, however, many intricacies to an issue like this.
The corporation in global society
Today economic activities and power are globally concentrated in a few large corporations. An active civil society, powered with mass media and information and communications technology along with social media easily locates the social and environmental impacts of the activities of corporations. This way corporations can be held accountable for any of their adverse actions and complemented / incentivised for their responsible actions.
We the people have the power; but how do we use it?
post by Zerhra ErkulThe internet could be the best asset society has.Protests are an expression of anger felt amongst individuals and are one of the best examples of communities uniting in an attempt to resolve local and global issues. They are a representation of the...
Global protest: The pros and cons of social media
All across the globe, countries experience unrest and conflict between their leaders and the people. This has been evident since civilisation began. However, the form in which this conflict occurs has varied drastically through the ages. Protest in the past often consisted of strong, wealthy figures gathering numerous followers to usurp the current, undesirable power. In contrast, protest now is largely based on social movement groups, without clear, defined leadership and is able to remain inclusive through the use of social media. Social media also enables mass protest nationally and even internationally, in a relatively short time, enabling larger scale and therefore more effective protest. However, social media are also abused by some movements, who use the provided anonymity to organise terrorist attacks and hate groups. This blog will henceforth analyse social media’s presence in protest and determine its pros and cons.
Global protest: Why it’s kicking off everywhere
By Finlay MilesThe last few centuries have seen the rise of truly geopolitical stakes in human relations and discourse. This move towards globalization in not only humanitarian concerns but in general has led to the description of the period we occupy as...
The internet: Can it really influence social movements?
The internet’s prominence in our daily lives’ is indisputable, it plays a profound role in all aspects of our lives. For instance, the internet allows us to build networks, both on a personal and professional level, and pre-existing friendship ties are strengthened through communication on social media networks. Additionally, the internet provides a platform for businesses and corporations to prosper. It could be said that the internet’s uses are focused on individual and corporate interactions, but this view is what I would consider invalid and outdated. In recent years, a third political dimension has manifested itself. This third political use of the internet aims to tackle global social challenges such as gender inequality, capitalism, and climate change through social movements, which exist, in some form, on the internet.
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