The universe is now interconnected through social media. Since the era of mIRC, Friendster, Multiply, Myspaces, Blogspot, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, to the uninvent-next-generation-of-social-media, people have more chances to broaden their network virtually. Social media creates digitally connected society, and even more initiates unbound conversations.
The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Allison H. Fine states that social media is vehicles for conversation. It is the agent of changes, as the drivers, who should drive the vehicles into right directions or the other way. The high way, the engines, and the horn equip the vehicles to run into the final destination, which in this case is social change.
Accessibility for social media is widely available. Internet revolution brings people into unified world. Moreover, technology advancements such as notebooks, mobile phones, or iPads provide the infrastructures to utilize the internet. People can share stories or even report events right on the spot. The #EarthHour is happening when people from all over the world shared pictures of their surrounding during the switching-off moments. People not only became viewers, but also actively participated in the cause of protecting the planet.
In addition, social media is echoing information further and for wider range. In my home country, Indonesia, who is the top five of twitter citizen, the social media once made a huge impact on society. It was ‘Coins for Justice’ and #FreePrita in 2009. Prita Mulyasari was prosecuted for writing a complaint email (and unintentionally sent to a mailing list) regarding a bad hospital service. She was found guilty for accusing the hospital by a High Court, and was ordered to pay a fine to the hospital. Then, Indonesian netizens initiated to collect the sum of the fine in form of coins because they are outraged by the court decision and they hope the coins will overwhelm the hospital. The cause attracted national-wide attention and became headlines in both electronic and mass media. This cause has reverberated the issue of freedom of expression and protection of consumer's right on the society at large.
Causes spread viral, when friends of friends are supporting things on the behalf of someone without directly being asked to do so. Social media transforms a ‘voice’ into a parade of passionate supporters for social movement through a simple ‘click’. The idea of connecting (or reconnecting) people on social media also meets the anthropological background of individual, which is a social being. Inevitably, social media is a promising media in influencing people to create social changes. *
This writing is written in order to join The Digitally Connected Students fellowship on
the Social Good Summit 2012 by The UN Foundation.
*picture courtesy of http://www.wizmarketings.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Austin-Social-Media-company.jpg
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