Anika Week 10: Social Media and Societal Awareness

Although political power is seen as being in the hands of politicians for the most part, that is not necessarily the case any longer, especially with the advent of the digital age.

Social media has become a method for people to be exposed to varying opinions and perspectives, showcasing ideas that are not necessarily supported or condoned by those in power. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok have been a way of people taking back the power that mainstream media, such as news channels which ensure not to share views that go against those of politicians, has had over the ideas and knowledge of current events of the American people.

A recent example of this amidst the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raids to arrest undocumented immigrants is singer and actress Selena Gomez using social media to empathize with those who were arrested. Due to her celebrity status, Gomez’s views attracted attention from many, more often negative than not (leading her to delete both posts she put on her Instagram regarding this), but shared the knowledge that there are people who sympathize with those being arrested. 

Similarly, I was scrolling through Instagram reels earlier today and saw videos that creators made portraying how teachers ensure that any and all of their students, undocumented or not, are protected from these raids, at least during the school day. Although other sources certainly express different opinions on this topic, the majority of the rhetoric I have been exposed to, both by living in the Bay Area and being on the side of social media where these opinions are expressed has been against ICE raids and everything that they stand for. 

Mainstream media as well as politicians may make it difficult to believe that ICE raids and other issues can be viewed from several perspectives, but the interconnectedness that social media brings allows people to form their own opinions based on several different angles of situations. This creates a greater sense of freedom for people to not be pressurized into believing certain ideologies simply based on where they live or what politician news channels are discussing the most. 


An image of someone's front door being approached by ICE.

Comments

  1. Emerly LeeFebruary 5, 2025 at 8:56 PM

    Hey Anika! I truly do believe that social media is revolutionizing politics, I don’t always believe that it is a positive thing. Oftentimes, however, I would argue that we are given the illusion that social media allows us to express critiques equally because of that the censorship of words often go unnoticed. For example, after the Tik Tok ban, the sudden gratitude towards President Trump, left many suspicious of the underlying intent with thanking him. Their suspicions were softly confirmed when many who remembered following left wing politicians found that their follows had been removed. While the validity of these claims are yet to be verified, I don’t believe that they should be overlooked rather be a testament to questions how social media can skew stories or push narratives. Overall, though I think your point also has validity as well because we are able to express information freely, it's just a question of how far that information is spread. That I would say is a form of censorship in itself.

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  2. SadiaFebruary 5, 2025 at 8:57 PM

    Hello, Anika! You made a strong point about how social media has become a powerful tool, sharing other's perspective and shaping the politics and society, and I agree that social media is truly very influential and despite people's denial on this topic, it is somewhat influential for them too. It is truly fascinating how a simple post can spark people's attention and reshape their opinions just by looking at it. I found your example of Selena Gomez speaking out about ICE raids, as a singer and a celebrity attracted people's attention and as you mentioned changed people's views on the raids. I also agree with the point you made, social media,which is free form influence of mainstream media and politician, allow people to form their own opinions and views on an issue.

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  3. Leila AlabedFebruary 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM

    Hi, Anika! I like how you used personal experiences in your blog (such as scrolling on Instagram) to provide examples in your blog. I agree that social media has a huge impact on our society currently, and that it holds the power to shape public opinion. I think that mainstream media has an enormous amount of influence on our perspectives, which you mention in your blog. I would also agree that social media can additionally inspire people to speak out and protest. Great work!

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