I was on a work placement with the Sky News politics team when the news of the death of Mike Brown first came to light. The setting allowed me to gain a unique perspective of how such events are dealt with in a news environment. It was undeniably a foreign issue, rather than a domestic one, and as a result it wasn’t initially featured in the mainstream news agenda. After the hashtag #iftheygunnedmedown started trending on twitter, the mainstream media outlets started to cover the story. The trend was designed to challenge the media representation of black people and the fact that black victims of police brutality are, more than often, vilified in the media. It subsequently grew into a much broader campaign, aimed at discrediting the perceived consensus that black lives were of a lesser value than their white counterparts.
The reason I’m mentioning this is because it represents how pivotal social media is in events such as this. Not only does it help the voiceless promote a cause and raise interest where the mainstream media has not, but it also allows users to get a snapshot of the general consensus towards such topics.
After the grand jury ruled that Darren Wilson would not be indicted for shooting an unarmed black teenager, many took to social media to vent their frustration. There were arguments and disputes here and there but I was glad to see that the vast majority of my timeline felt that the decision was a step back for America. Nevertheless, when I looked at the general hashtag I was greeted with a much less faith-restoring outlook. Whilst most young/ liberal minded individuals shared my views, there was a real disparity between the generations. It very quickly became clear that the vast majority of the “older” generation felt the decision was justified.
Of course this is a generalisation, but I’ve always been of the belief that all generalisations stem from an element of truth. It’s no secret that younger people tend to be more liberal minded and if the sentiments on social media are anything to go by, it definitely rings true.
In London yesterday there was a protest outside the US embassy in solidarity with Mike Brown and there was a lot of talk about it on twitter. Some felt it was pointless, others felt it was used as an opportunity to promote the different interests of those involved, but a lot felt that it was better to do something rather than nothing at all. The protest attracted a lot of young people, from all walks of life and this can largely be attributed to social media.
Social media is an educational tool. It has educated me about rape culture, misogyny, feminism and white privilege but of course not all of the lessons were equal in terms of how accurate and helpful they were. Still, one thing I can’t deny is that it’s made me more tolerant and I think that’s what’s so unique about my generation. My generation is less inclined to dismiss someone’s view outright, and we’re more likely to empathise with those who are in completely different situations to ourselves.
When I posted a comment in reaction to the grand jury ruling on Facebook, I was told by an older (and slightly rude commenter) that I didn’t know enough about the “real world.” Ironically, I think the truth is the exact opposite.
Political Me 