It’s Not All Bad... The Positive Side Of Social Media – 10 Yetis Insight

Is it just me, or does it feel like every time you go on to Twitter or Facebook these days, a large majority of the news and discussions you see on there are negative? Things such as the latest news story about Donald Trump, people in comment sections or threads berating and belittling others’ views; it can all get very tiring. In a bunch of high profile cases, it can cause users to quit social media for a period for time, or for good. Most recently, Chrissy Teigen had to leave her social media platforms for a few weeks because of false and ridiculous accusations about her and her young child.

Another negative of social media is the effect platforms can have on users’ health. Accounts and studies show that obsession with the platforms is growing and that these fixations can be a health risk for people, especially for the younger generation who feel pressure to display a perfect life online.

Anyway, enough of the bad, let’s get onto what we’re here for… the good. Although the media seems to focus on the negative sides of social media, there is plenty of good going on; you just have to be following the right people and looking in the right places.

Let’s start with the obvious stuff. The power of social media for non-profits and charitable causes is monumental. Everyone remembers the popularity of the Ice Bucket Challenge and how much it raised for ALS association (over $115 million in case you weren’t sure). Soon followed the No Make-Up challenge (women posted their no make-up selfies online and donated via text) for Cancer Research UK, which initially started organically from a user online but spread like wildfire and Cancer Research UK sensibly latched onto it to help raise even more money.

Sites such as GoFundMe and JustGiving have helped the ease of online giving and you’ll sometimes spot fundraising on these platforms being shared on social platforms from friends and connections. In fact, Facebook has incorporated a charitable giving button into its platform so that you can donate directly through the site, saving the extra clicks and making giving easier. The rapid growth in social media has only helped charities; it’s easier for them to spread their message to those who could donate and, at the very least, create awareness for their cause.

Not only does Social Media help to raise awareness and funds for charities, but it helps to start movements and awareness for initiatives. One initiative which I feel is worth mentioning is the Time’s Up campaign which has recently been set up by women in the entertainment industry. Following the sexual harassment and assault revelations about Harvey Weinstein, which dominated social media, there was a movement where women were sharing their stories of sexual harassment and assault with the hashtag #MeToo. The astonishing spread of the hashtag showed how prevalent the issue was and not just in the entertainment industry.

These revelations are what led to the setting up of the Time’s Up movement. The movement now has a letter of solidarity which men and women can add their signatures to as a show of support. There is now also a legal defence fund which people can donate to. Without social media there is no way this movement could have found the same level of reach and backing, it’s now a worldwide issue that is being tackled.

Another plus side of social media is connecting with like-minded people. If you dig around you’ll easily find someone with the same interests as you, no matter how niche they are. In fact, you may even find a whole group of people! Not only can friendships and relationships happen online, but it’s the perfect way to reach out for new work contacts. You don’t have to find all your business contacts on LinkedIn, as Twitter is also ideal for an informal chat about the latest industry development, and who knows it could help create a new business lead.

Social media can encourage people to band together, especially in times of need. Quite often when a natural disaster or tragic event occurs, a hashtag will trend and there will be an outpouring of support, people offering food, drink shelter, transport and more. It’s great to see the way social media can bring people together in the face of such tragedy. Before social media, in these situations, relief and support would not have been as instant and the news of the event wouldn’t have been spread as quickly.

A great feature that Facebook has added to the platform is the ability to mark yourself as safe. If your location logged with Facebook is near a disaster that has occurred, you can mark yourself as safe so that friends and family don’t have to worry if they can’t contact you instantly. A fantastic idea, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Another feature Facebook has, which is used more in America, is the AMBER Alert system. This sends out a notification alert to anyone whose location puts them near a missing child or person. This means that people can act fast and be on the lookout for the child or person straight away, hopefully helping to bring them to safety. This tool is a fantastic use of social media and aims to lower the rate of missing person cases. (Though currently in the US AMBER alerts are only used in 0.3% of cases).

These are just a few examples of how social media can be used for good. I haven’t included wholesome memes, hilarious Parks and Rec GIFs, cat videos, doggos, Twitter lols, Instagram superzoom and the Snapchat hot dog filter, buts that’s because you already know how awesome they are. So, go forth and spread a little good.

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