How to Become a Social Media Activist
Recognize that it's okay not to be a full-time activist., Research your desired issue., Pay attention to intersectionality., Speak up on social media., Consider your audience., Don't feed the trolls., Recognize that you will be called out at some...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Recognize that it's okay not to be a full-time activist.
Activism is stressful, emotionally taxing work.
You may have a job, children, a disability, et cetera, that limit the amount of time you can devote to a cause.
You may only be able to act anonymously, because speaking publicly (e.g. coming out as bisexual) could cause you to lose your job or familial support. -
Step 2: Research your desired issue.
It's best to spend lots of time reading and listening before you start speaking—especially (but not exclusively) if this is an issue in which you have privilege (for example, a white woman fighting racism or a smaller fat person fighting sizeism).
Be sure to educate yourself from multiple perspectives so you can form a nuanced standpoint.
Read first and foremost from the people who experience the issue.
Find where marginalized people disagree on different topics.
Why do they feel this way? How do you feel? , Particularly in feminism, activists care about multiple manners.
You can't fight classism without a reasonable understanding of ableism; you can't fight racism without a decent knowledge of gender roles, et cetera.
Focus on your issue, but remember you're here to help all people with that issue, and make sure that when stepping up you aren't treading on someone else's toes. , Social media allows you to reach other people and make them think.
Link to well-written works that helped you understand.
Use logic to point out holes in bigotry and injustice.
Internet activism is about slowly opening people's minds to new ideas.
You may want to share it with your in-person friends, or start an anonymous account for safety/comfort reasons.
Either way is okay. , A trans woman deeply discussing gender performativity in a group of feminist academics will speak and behave differently than a trans woman educating cis people on basic manners.
Pay attention to the language you use, and the patience at your disposal.
Privileged and uninitiated people are naturally going to take some time to understand.
Educating people can be exhausting work.
Take good care of your physical and emotional health.
If someone clearly doesn't understand well, and you don't have the energy to deal with them, feel free to suggest they ask someone else. (Offer them a link where they can go read about it, or tell them to try a search engine.) , If you're a feminist or other controversial type of activist, expect people to attack you.
They want attention, and it's best not to make it clear that this behavior is not the way to get it.
Block, report, and ignore.
Here are a few telltale things they do:
Insult you Ask ridiculous "trick questions" Pretend to be a member of a group they're not (e.g. "I'm totally a black guy and I feel that you're racist against whites, you're an *insert slur* p.s. white men are sexy") Contradict themselves Claim to be the paragon of logic or reason Add that they're just curious (not trolling) , You will do something problematic, and someone will tell you so.
This is okay.
You are learning—everyone is—and nobody hates you.
The most graceful way to handle it is to say "I'm sorry that I hurt people, and I'll research a little more so I can be confident I won't do it again." It's that easy.
Calling others out can be scary.
Be sure not to lash out at the person who called you out—they mean well.
Respond the way you'd like others to respond when you call them out regarding your cause. , Activism can take a large emotional toll, especially if you have a mental illness or other stressful issues in your life.
If activism is hurting you too much, shut down the computer.
You cannot fix the world's problems yourself, and you are not Atlas—you cannot hold the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Remember, when you take better care of yourself, you'll be better able to handle the challenges that life throws at you.
If you feel persistently sad, irritable, tired, or anxious, ask a doctor to be screened for mental health issues such as depression.
Consider the starfish philosophy—you can't save every single beached starfish, but when you throw one back into the sea, it makes a difference to that one.
Whether you can see it or not, you've changed several people's lives for the better. -
Step 3: Pay attention to intersectionality.
-
Step 4: Speak up on social media.
-
Step 5: Consider your audience.
-
Step 6: Don't feed the trolls.
-
Step 7: Recognize that you will be called out at some point.
-
Step 8: Put your health first.
Detailed Guide
Activism is stressful, emotionally taxing work.
You may have a job, children, a disability, et cetera, that limit the amount of time you can devote to a cause.
You may only be able to act anonymously, because speaking publicly (e.g. coming out as bisexual) could cause you to lose your job or familial support.
It's best to spend lots of time reading and listening before you start speaking—especially (but not exclusively) if this is an issue in which you have privilege (for example, a white woman fighting racism or a smaller fat person fighting sizeism).
Be sure to educate yourself from multiple perspectives so you can form a nuanced standpoint.
Read first and foremost from the people who experience the issue.
Find where marginalized people disagree on different topics.
Why do they feel this way? How do you feel? , Particularly in feminism, activists care about multiple manners.
You can't fight classism without a reasonable understanding of ableism; you can't fight racism without a decent knowledge of gender roles, et cetera.
Focus on your issue, but remember you're here to help all people with that issue, and make sure that when stepping up you aren't treading on someone else's toes. , Social media allows you to reach other people and make them think.
Link to well-written works that helped you understand.
Use logic to point out holes in bigotry and injustice.
Internet activism is about slowly opening people's minds to new ideas.
You may want to share it with your in-person friends, or start an anonymous account for safety/comfort reasons.
Either way is okay. , A trans woman deeply discussing gender performativity in a group of feminist academics will speak and behave differently than a trans woman educating cis people on basic manners.
Pay attention to the language you use, and the patience at your disposal.
Privileged and uninitiated people are naturally going to take some time to understand.
Educating people can be exhausting work.
Take good care of your physical and emotional health.
If someone clearly doesn't understand well, and you don't have the energy to deal with them, feel free to suggest they ask someone else. (Offer them a link where they can go read about it, or tell them to try a search engine.) , If you're a feminist or other controversial type of activist, expect people to attack you.
They want attention, and it's best not to make it clear that this behavior is not the way to get it.
Block, report, and ignore.
Here are a few telltale things they do:
Insult you Ask ridiculous "trick questions" Pretend to be a member of a group they're not (e.g. "I'm totally a black guy and I feel that you're racist against whites, you're an *insert slur* p.s. white men are sexy") Contradict themselves Claim to be the paragon of logic or reason Add that they're just curious (not trolling) , You will do something problematic, and someone will tell you so.
This is okay.
You are learning—everyone is—and nobody hates you.
The most graceful way to handle it is to say "I'm sorry that I hurt people, and I'll research a little more so I can be confident I won't do it again." It's that easy.
Calling others out can be scary.
Be sure not to lash out at the person who called you out—they mean well.
Respond the way you'd like others to respond when you call them out regarding your cause. , Activism can take a large emotional toll, especially if you have a mental illness or other stressful issues in your life.
If activism is hurting you too much, shut down the computer.
You cannot fix the world's problems yourself, and you are not Atlas—you cannot hold the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Remember, when you take better care of yourself, you'll be better able to handle the challenges that life throws at you.
If you feel persistently sad, irritable, tired, or anxious, ask a doctor to be screened for mental health issues such as depression.
Consider the starfish philosophy—you can't save every single beached starfish, but when you throw one back into the sea, it makes a difference to that one.
Whether you can see it or not, you've changed several people's lives for the better.
About the Author
Mary Murray
Experienced content creator specializing in organization guides and tutorials.
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