Online Activism

Online activism is a role people need to be taking on now more than ever. This is done by taking to the internet, generating posts, gaining a following, and spreading the word about important topics. There are many things that people are not knowledgable on and we need to spread the word. Everyday, people are subject to seeing different forms of content and information online. Online activists play a huge role in making sure people know what is happening in the world and what everyone can do to change. A lot of people I know are ignorant to many subjects, and don’t feel like they can participate in the discussion. However, this is the wrong way to go about it. Online activists encourage people who didn’t feel like they had a voice, they give out information and empower people to step up and play a roll. This is a way to hold people accountable. It may feel small, but it’s incredible how much we can achieve from behind our keyboard. Signing petitions, and spreading information is so powerful. The problem with many topics is the lack of information provided to people. A lot of people may only be seeing one side of an issue and not getting all the facts, this can lead to problems down the line which can be avoided by the spread of information online.

There are so many digital tools are our fingertips. This starts small with things like social media. Sharing posts on your instagram story, asking people to sign a petition on snapchat or instagram. We can make a different in our communities, and communities across the world by interacting with petitions and other sources of things on our phones and online. At the start of the black lives matter movement in March there were thousands of petitions on the internet, and many people condensing them into one spot so they could be signed. Many people believed this wouldn’t make a difference, but it proved time and time again to give a voice to the people who were struggling to get it out on their own.

There are tons of examples of online activism today. I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis and during this important time, a bunch of students have come together to form the Bloomington Anti-Racism Coalition (B.A.R.C). They have begun forming different links and spreading information. They also participate in forming marches, and gathering fundraising and tackling important issues. It’s amazing to see my community getting together to try and tackle the issues at hand. It takes a village often times, and in this instance, they are making change and speaking to boards with important people. By getting together, they are beginning a change.

**For more information you can follow their instagram account barc.2020**