This blog was written by Unite for Rights Social Media Director Maya Forte
Social Media and Human Rights- How do they fit?
It’s likely that if you’re reading this blog, you’ve at least heard of social media, if not have a few accounts of your own. With whole online worlds dedicated to helping you land the next job, perfect your next banana bread recipe, or even something as big as finding global solidarity behind the fight for equal rights. As internet and travel combine to make the world infinitely globally interconnected, it seems that humans are able to feel closer to each other and connect in a variety of ways- some of which have even been the spark that lit the fire of a complete societal revolution. Just as community, messaging, and working all look different than they did just a few years ago, advocacy, protest, and the fight for human rights and democracy do too.
Some of the biggest social movements, revolutions and protests since the early 2000s can be attributed in some part to social media and online protests, such as the Arab Spring Revolutions, Black Lives Matter, Climate Fridays, and #MeToo. Through internet campaigns and petitions (for instance, our 38 degrees petition you can still sign here to support!) This blog isn’t a straight forward, technoutopian perspective on how social media is the new savior of mankind, and that legislative action and protections have to fall to the wayside of Tweets and reposts; if you’ve read any of our other posts or know about our organisation, you’ll know how important safeguarding the rule of law is to safeguarding human rights protections worldwide.
Digital activism- it’s perks and important drawbacks
Through intentional and calculated use of these new technologies, messages and organisations like Unite for Rights have the capacity to spread like wildfire- with the real chance of universal and fluid human rights documents like the UDHR having power they’ve never had before. Article 19 of the UDHR is Freedom of Expression, a right often revoked and echoed through domestic legislation in countries like the US and UK.
Now with social media, Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Speech can allow for communities to come together regardless of geographic proximity- and do things like facilitate worldwide pro-democracy protest events like the recent No Kings Day events this past summer. At the same time though, we see the rise of communities built on destroying or targeting certain individuals, either explicitly or through the slow manipulation of hate or blame on a certain group. Disinformation campaigns, including deepfakes and other artificially-generated content, alongside deliberate spread of misinformation, is an incredibly powerful tool that can have immense impacts on the decision-making ability and influence entire populations. In the months leading up to the full scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia began releasing information on public news and media platforms like TikTok, Telegram, and other social platforms to gain support and justify the war both within the Russia-controlled media and to individuals abroad. Social media, just as it can be an asset- is also now being used as a weapon. Lots of other criticisms, such as that social media’s communicative ease lessens the burden of participation but makes movements die out faster, corporate ownership of the platforms means that content moderation and blocking from powerful actors can manipulate messaging, and lack of clear leadership can dilute and change messaging.
How do we effectively use social media for human rights?
One key way is through information creation and dissemination, but with the key element of a critical eye. As Uniters and individuals who care for others on the most basic level, we owe it to ourselves and to mankind to try our best to separate fact from fiction. Just because something has been spreading on social media doesn’t make it true, and just because an issue or petition is trending, doesn’t mean that there is equal action behind it in the real world. We call this “clicktivism” or “slacktivism”, the idea that liking a post is so easy to do that we don’t find ourselves actually financially or physically committing to support causes we care about. To dissuade this, we challenge you to yes- use social media to engage with local and international connections about the importance of the rule of law and the potential of the UDHR as a founding force for good- but also show up to that protest, talk to your neighbor or family member that has a different political belief or doesn’t understand why they should care about human rights. Physical changes will not only allow you to literally see progress in your actions, but build real community beyond the screen.
Navigating truth in the land of social media is already a difficult task in and of itself.And yet, it’s the effective and calculated use of tools like social media platforms that enable movements to quickly grow and gain support overnight. Unite’s mission, reviving and implementing the rights in the UDHR, including the strengthening and expansion of regional court systems, is putting social media to good use.
