If you’ve been on social media in the past few years, you’ll remember 2020’s black box posts.
After the killing of George Floyd on June 2, 2020, many Instagram users participated in Blackout Tuesday — a movement in which people posted a simple black square to raise awareness about police brutality and systemic racism — which led activists to question its effectiveness.
What was the black square actually helping?
Since then, social media activism has become more prominent: According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, 46% of Americans participated in some form of political activism on their social media accounts in 2023.
As an avid Instagram Story user, I am part of this 46%. I often repost various graphics, calls to action, and news articles on various political and social issues, and I have often asked myself the same question. I have even received replies and messages from colleagues asking if I think my posts are actually making a difference.
With fewer than 1,000 followers and plenty of like-minded friends, Enenji Schutt, a senior at the University of Minnesota, wonders if her voice is helping anyone, or just a drop in the ocean.
“I post content that I feel is easy to understand and necessary,” Schutt said. “Anything I see on my feed that I feel can really help someone understand a situation, I’ll repost it.”
But sometimes, our social media habits are the only thing we can control.
“I know many people consciously distance themselves from the content, so my reposting it wouldn’t be very helpful, but it can help account owners get their messages out, organizations and families get noticed for fundraisers, connect community members to relevant events in their area, and give the uninformed a new or deeper perspective,” Schutt said. “It also makes you feel like you’re doing something to help out at a time when so many people need it.”
According to statistics from the University of Maine, the average time spent on social media is about two and a half hours per day — and if you’re going to spend that much time scrolling through different platforms anyway, you might be able to save that time by sharing and consuming activist-related content.
“It’s all too easy to spend hours in scrolling mode and not come across something meaningful or thought-provoking. With atrocities happening all over the world, we all need to think critically and understand,” Schutt said.
I first witnessed the impact of social media activism during the COVID-19 pandemic in high school. There was a lot of discussion about mask mandates at my school, and the refusal of many of my classmates to wear masks led to social media discussions and petitions across the district. I myself have several family members who are immunocompromised, and I saw wearing a mask as a way to protect them.
In retrospect, my classmates who posted in support of wearing masks or mandating them may not have had much influence on our school district’s decision on the issue. Because we attended a large public school, many of the guidelines were primarily state and county decisions.
But I do remember how these posts affected me: They made me feel safe; they made me feel like someone cared about me and my family’s well-being during this time.
Ollie Landry, a junior at the University of Minnesota, has a similar motivation when it comes to sharing content.
“I think showing solidarity on social media is so important because many social issues, big and small, can feel so isolating for those affected,” Landry said. “It’s a privilege to be able to show support and show people they’re not alone with just a few clicks of a button. Social media is a resource, and it’s important to use it, because even seemingly small actions and seemingly insignificant posts can have a positive impact on the mental health of others and the movement itself.”
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that just posting a black square isn’t helpful and I understand why people get tired of seeing the same Canva graphic reposted over and over on Instagram. Like I said, my online presence may just be a drop in the ocean of content out there, but at the same time, every body of water is made up of drops.
Even if it makes just one person’s opinion change just a little, or just one person feel safer, that’s enough for me.
