Social Media: a Powerful Tool for Social Awareness and Communication (by Shiraz Paracha)

It seems to me that organizing an event through the social media is not very common in Pakistan. Perhaps many of us don’t take the social media seriously. We use social media forums to pass time and often for sharing casual opinions and comments. There is nothing wrong with that but we can also use the social media for campaigning, organizing activities and promoting togetherness and harmony. 

In many parts of the world the social media are sources of bridge building and bringing people together for common causes. Social media forums have become major sources of communication, networking etc. Such forums are also used for event organization and political activism. This has happened because of the mainstream media’s indifference towards problems of working classes. The corporate media serve interests of the rich and powerful and ignore issues that concern ordinary people. In this backdrop the social media forums have become alternative platforms and voices of the voiceless. 

However, the social media are not alternative to actual/physical human interaction and activities. If cyber exchanges and interaction are not backed by real time human efforts and activities, and if the social media sources/platforms are not credible there can be negative implications. Also the social media are not replacement for physical human socialization and political activism. Total reliance on the social media for communication and social activity can result in de-politicizing people, inactivity, individualism, isolation etc. The point to remember is that the social media are not alternative to actual human interaction, activity or interpersonal communication. The social media tools should compliment and strengthen actual human interaction. Use of credible social media forums can supplement real time social and political activities/debates and awareness campaigns.

For example, in the late 1990s, the powerful anti-globalization and anti-capitalist movement were created through the social media where thinking minds and dissatisfied souls shared ideas and concerns. This was followed by actual mobilization of millions of people who would turn up at every meeting of the IMF, the World Bank, G7 group and other influential bodies. Ordinary people successfully registered their protest using the social media as networking and communication tools. The creation of the G20 group was the direct result of those protests where activists from around the world had successfully challenged institutions that protected interests of the rich and powerful. That is why most governments and agencies monitor social media forums for intelligence and information gathering purposes. They formulate policies and strategies in the light of trends and information they note on social media forums. First WikiLeaks and now Edward Snowden disclosures about the US National Security Agency (NSA) electronic surveillance and internet monitoring are examples of the significance of the social media. Anyway it is another topic and I will try to share more thoughts about it but at another time.