The myth of social media as a tool for protest
By VIOLET ZANZOT— vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu
If I am being honest, the world has felt all too biblical recently: plagues, famine, war and, now, fire. I’m pretty confident I am not the only person who feels like things have been off; In fact, I think it may be one of the only things we can probably all agree on with today’s turmoil — things are odd, maybe even eerie. What I find particularly interesting about it all is the way people deal with this new kind of “out-of-the-ordinary” version of normal, especially the various ways people have decided to protest against it.
The kind of protest that really seems to “get my goat,” if you will, is the kind that exists purely on Instagram Stories. Using social media as a means of vocalizing individual opinions has only led to misinformation and division. It is to act publicly while simultaneously hiding. What happened to the good, old-fashioned collective frustration that drew people out to the picket lines?
It is clear that collective action on social media can, in some way, be effective. I point to celebrity JoJo Siwa as an example. In December of 2024, a majority of the TikTok community agreed to not like her posts. The whole sensation unintentionally proved that a collective action on social media can be at least relatively effective — the star had videos with millions of views, but only thousands of likes. This only occurred because most people were able to agree on a feeling and an action — an agreement which political and social issues have failed to inspire recently.
People have taken it into their own hands to repost and express their personal feelings as a form of activism. But how can protest be effective if it is not collective? Furthermore, because of the ever-so-hasty news cycle, which has exploded the number of news sources and sensational media available, independently promoting one’s own feed only further creates a disconnect between the larger collective (a group that is necessary for action).
The argument could be made that social media has allowed for a space to share opinions and learn new things. I, for one, cannot deny that I love to pull out the expression: “I found this somewhere.” The “where” I am referring to is, of course, TikTok. But when it comes to forming opinions and then sharing them to build a personal platform, the 30 seconds spent on an Instagram Story are not the answer.
Unfortunately, the temporal nature of social media and the overwhelming amount of both fake and heavily biased news has lessened the ability of a “repost” to be an effective voice for the masses. If everyone is yelling (or posting) something different, then no one can be heard.
Social media represents people as having sharp, fleeting opinions, which are often the most dangerous thoughts — unknowing, stubborn and volatile. No one wants to drive down a mountain that is filled with switchbacks, is steep and has a fast speed limit, yet this is the mountain we have made social media out to be.
I would love to argue that social media as a whole is some unnecessary evil, but I am in fact a sheep in the sense that I often enjoy seeing people’s trips to Rome or theories on “10 ways to make a guy fall in love with you.” Beyond that, though, when we use social media, especially the “reposting” or “Story” features on Instagram, as a tool for political or social protest, we tend to just be separating ourselves from others — often in a way that is backed by misinformation or bias. We cannot make change if we act as or think like sovereign citizens — a sentiment social media has seemed to foster.
While the world is burning, is it our responsibility to repost news or to take action? They are not the same.
Written by: Violet Zanzot— vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.
