The Battle for Public Opinion
How is social media changing the way people document history?
The documentation of history has greatly shifted with the introduction of social media. Before technology, history was recorded through historical records and relied on oral communication from generation to generation. As social media has become widespread, history is now being documented mainly through the use of images. While history is still recorded through written documents, people often capture photos to display the reality of the situation. There is usually a short caption or description stating what the image represents but overall, the image is the main documentation. Adding onto that, history is also recorded through the use of videos. People will post a variety of video clips that range from interviews, speeches, or whatever event is taking place. In general, social media has allowed for more media documentation and real footage rather than written statements.
Give an example of how social media has been used in a positive way.
While social media may have some downfalls, it can be a very useful tool to spread information and get people to take action. Oftentimes social media is used as a call to action for various social issues. It is a way to educate people and help them understand through the use of images, videos, or other mediums. During the California wildfires that took over the state, many people shared images of the burned homes in order to help the public understand the extent of the problem. Fundraisers were also shared throughout different social media platforms, which helped raise large amounts of money in order to help those who had lost their homes and belongings. Without the help of social media, it would be very difficult to inform the general public about any issue that occurs.
How have people used social media to win the hearts and minds of people?
Social media has become a way for people to win the hearts and minds of others. With the documentation of history shifting to images and videos, the viewer is able to see real emotion. In many of the recent protests, images have been published of people with expressions of sadness and hopelessness. When the viewer sees these images they may become more likely to take action on that specific social issue. Social media has enhanced the use of pathos, which may invoke certain feelings in the viewer. For instance, in many of the climate change protests, images of younger generations have been shared in order to make a statement that older generations have destroyed the planet for future generations. When these images of young people fighting for their planet spread throughout social media, it uses pathos because people become empathetic when they can see and begin to feel their emotion through the screen. In addition, many people share media of devastating natural disasters which allows the viewer to see the extent of the problem and instill emotions of sadness for the people who have been impacted.
