Everyday we see different forms of activism that come from a wide variety of students. Sometimes, it has a very strong impact on our community where issues are heavily changed. For example, in objection to the violent Palestine and Israel conflict, students performed their vigorous protests in show of support. Students protested against Starbucks because of the issue the company faced with firing members of a Palestinian supporting union within the company. This movement ended up bringing awareness among millions, and many people stopped purchasing from Starbucks. It also led to Starbuck’s loss of $11 billion, which was the main goal for people who participated in the boycott. Unfortunately, oftentimes when individuals try to do what is best for awareness, it’s simply not enough effort to actually have inducing effects.
On June 2, 2020, there was a nationwide event on Instagram known as Blackout Tuesday where users posted a black square on their feed. This social media awareness campaign was initiated after the tragic murder of George Floyd and utilized as a way to protest racism and police brutality. While people who participated in this trend assumed and tried to advocate for what they believe is right, it ultimately did not better the issues that were at hand at the time.
Blackout Tuesday, which was heavily promoted by activists, ended up blocking actual news showing the thousands of arrests and protests happening everywhere at the time. With the chaos happening then, including violent protests and COVID-19, this trend was a way for students to believe that they could help out in a simple way. While these posts–made by much of the newer generation (Gen Z)–were added under the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement with good intentions, it ended up blocking the majority of the brutal and violent posts and videos of physical issues people of color were facing at the time.
This was a significant issue at the time because the movement ultimately suffocated the more important coverage of the real time violence that was happening at the same time. Students specifically enrolled within Arcadia High School (AHS) also joined in this trend just like much of our nation did back in 2020, where they posted the same black squares on their personal social media to align with the rest of Instagram on Blackout Tuesday. Alas, this trend did not end up securing an important role in helping advance the BLM movement and essentially should not have been a crucial event within society. All things considered, though it had a very popular message, this social media movement was a poor move by society due to the fact that it did not help raise the targeted awareness of police brutality and the real life moments people experienced at the time.
A handful of students from the younger generation have also participated in trends to stop utilizing and purchasing fast fashion. But unfortunately, due to various issues, the majority of the student population didn’t engage or stop participating in not purchasing fast fashion.
Approximately 72% of students purchased fast fashion in 2022. While individuals who are a part of the younger generation do want to expand their ideology of protecting the environment, many are influenced by the latest fashion trends which lead them into buying into fast fashion. 45% of students actually end up giving up their inner conscience and give in to buying from big corporations in order to participate in the latest fashion trends occurring at the moment. Specifically at AHS, students have sometimes displayed their style through clothing they have gotten from thrift stores and other hand-me-down options, yet many still purchase from fast fashion brands like Brandy Melville and Shein.
Surely, it is hard to consistently purchase ethical clothing due to issues like the difficulty in finding sustainable types of clothing that are also inexpensive. Cotton, for instance, costs 25% more than polyester, and individuals end up paying 30% more for organic cotton than commonly farmed cotton. Yet, despite these difficulties, sustainability within fashion would end up being the option that improves the environment for the future, and something that students should promote to their community.
A more recent example is the issue on which many users of social media used their platform to spread awareness for the conflict in Israel and Palestine. On Oct. 7, 2023, millions of individuals started posting on every social media platform. Some examples include Instagram, TikTok, and SnapChat, where people simply either reposted another video in support or they made their own that didn’t have too much of an impact. Those videos mainly would provide information about the conflict and additional ways people could make their own impact, like giving donations.
Specifically on TikTok and Instagram, people would make their own TikTok sounds in order for people to use so they could make money then donate. Creators would also make filters that people could use in order to again raise money to donate. The severe issue with this is the fact that there is no clear proof of the creators of these filters and sounds actually showing the profit they made and then donated. At AHS, many students also participated in spreading the same awareness by simply reposting a donation link or informational post on their Instagram story that really did not have a severe impact on the violence.
Overall, it is acknowledged that social media can make a big difference and impact on what people think they should do to contribute to an improvement of their society and world. Oftentimes, individuals create specific messages that may be shown as important and influential to their audience in order for them to be perceived as someone who seemingly cares for what’s going on in the world. Yet, that is not frequently the case with students on social media. Even though an easy way to advocate for something is simply by reposting information, the younger generation should try to put an effort in making physical changes within their communities where an actual effect is positively made. This can be in unique ways such as volunteering and participating in local protests and events that advocate for the cause they are fighting for. Or students can simply branch out to people physically and strongly urge them to join along in fighting for the things they want to make right.
