Recently, on both the national stage and in my local community, I have observed a trend toward strategies for social change that are having a negative impact on everyone around them.
In the presidential race, we have witnessed racism, misogyny, general incivility, and no scruples when it comes to actual physical violence at the political rallies of some candidates.
Locally, we are seeing tactics akin to throwing a bomb into an unsuspecting crowd and running away in the name of “uncovering issues of transparency.” What’s left behind is a divided community that is left to its own devices to figure out what just happened, what’s real, and how to move on.
As an educator and an activist, I spend a lot of time thinking about strategies for creating lasting and effective change in the world. I believe that the key to creating change that benefits everyone is by building civil and meaningful relationships among groups and individuals.
Bringing people together to discuss what is important to them and then helping them work to find common ground is at the basis of this kind of work. It takes patience and the ability to think long-term but it is worth it. People often try to use social media as a tool for change. Facebook, Twitter, and news outlets can be useful for introducing people to issues. However, maybe it is time we create a few conscience-inspecting rules for ourselves before we post things on social media.
We might stop and think … Do I have all of the information? Am I presenting this fairly? Is this article or post going to disadvantage or cause someone unnecessary harm? Is this blatantly inflammatory? What purpose does this actually serve? Am I just trying to get a lot of “likes?” Am I pitting people against each other rather than helping them work together?
If we are able to ask ourselves all of these questions and clearly determine that what we are doing is beneficial and works toward the purpose of positive community change, then it’s OK to post. This goes double for anyone who is in a position of power. People do actually read your stuff.
Finally, it is important to remember that “movements” on social media should not take the place of actual interactions with other human beings. It’s easy to hide behind our posts on social media and think we are being “helpful.”
Instead let’s make an effort to engage each other in meaningful face-to-face conversations that leave the meanness behind. As one of my favorite memes on Facebook this week says, “Let’s make America KIND again.”
Jackie Brousseau-Pereira
Easthampton