The Storm Online

Of late, public agitation has found a new space to brew, simmer and finally overflow. The growing conscience of our generation is finding expression in ways and methods that were definitely not traditional even ten years ago.  Your 21^st century protester is no longer a person sitting on the road with a huge banner, chanting cleverly written slogans. He/she could be someone who has a smartphone with access to internet. The credit for the leap forward that we have taken in terms of developing a more accessible and ubiquitous platform, and utilising it for a larger cause goes primarily to the digital media space.

Digital media has afforded a new avenue- not just to say what you want, but also mobilize popular support, let it snowball into a bigger cause and even play out online. It provides an outlet for movements to take shape and shake those in power.

Social Media is a great outlet for voicing opinions.

When I joined Twitter back in 2010 as a freshly minted high school student simply hopping onto the bandwagon, I did not fathom that one day this site, which to me was simply a way I could reach my favourite celebrities at the time, would eventually turn into a place where I would voice my opinion on causes, debate with even eminent people and be able to find like-minded people whose cause aligned with my own. The same can be said for users of Facebook who no longer just use the social media website to connect with loved ones. Their purpose (if not that of the website itself) has changed to something that contributes to a far greater goal.

When #BlackLivesMatter began trending for months on end on all social media platforms following the death of an innocent teenager who was shot unjustifiably by a police officer in America, I realized that there is more to social media than we think. The movement to make people aware of the cause began long back, but it gained much more traction after receiving an overwhelming amount of support online. Celebrities, ordinary citizens, students, academicians, politicians, and activists, were all sharing their view on the pressing issue of police brutality. As news, videos and images of more instances involving colour-based violence began spreading across America, the movement only got stronger and stronger. And, I, a 16-17 year old teenager sitting in India learned so much by simply following the trend on Twitter out of sheer curiosity.

A major movement that took USA by storm. 

That, to me, sums up what the role of digital media in augmenting social movements is. The essence of it, in my opinion, lies in the fact that it lets news travel. It lets a cause reach far and wide. I no longer have to rely only on newspapers or television to get news about a major movement anywhere, which, in the case of international news would not be as in-depth anyway. Following a trending hashtag lets me see it all. The forum is open for debate and anyone can participate.

Since #BlackLivesMatter happened, this trend has only grown. And, there is nothing to deny just how important digital media has become, especially if there is no paper or channel out there that will let you voice what you think. You don’t need contacts to get your foot into the door. You don’t even need achievements on paper to let you express what you think about a cause. All you need is an email-id, a clever unhackable password and the ability to communicate the thoughts in your head.

Digital media’s greatest gift has perhaps been this ease of communication, across both political and intellectual borders. Lower rates of censorship in most cases also allow the messages to travel easily. There is no delay in sharing information either. 

I remember during the JNU agitation, students were being attacked by police officers in the aftermath of the protest they had conducted the night before. Immediately, on my Twitter feed, there were hoards of people sharing information about where one should not go to avoid violence and where they can contact in case of emergencies. I saw so many people talking about the issue, their stance on it, and also many agencies and digital media news companies sharing videos straight from the scene of action.

Twitter's popularity, especially in the West, makes it a hotspot for online protest.

Further back, when the Nirbhaya Gang Rape Case was all India was talking about, digital media too was rife with debate and discussion. I could feel the pulse of the nation online. Whether it was Asifa or Nirbhaya, there were sides picked, not just in reality but also in the digital space. Women said ‘No More’ and you could hear it through your screens. Perhaps, it is this outflow of support and dedication to a cause that can also make those in power feel that what they do doesn’t go unnoticed. What they say in the media does not fall on deaf ears anymore. What they do is most definitely picked up by people who WILL share it online eventually (unless something else shuts them up).

Who’s to say now that digital media is only for our entertainment?

When addressing this topic, however, I cannot do it any justice without touching briefly upon the storm called #MeToo that is raging across the world, and in India particularly, at this very moment in time. It took a few brave women to come out against Harvey Weinstein and start a revolution that allowed every victim of sexual harassment, male, female or otherwise, to speak out in solidarity by attaching the hashtag to their social media posts.

#MeToo is a campaign that brings sexual harassment stories in workplace to the forefront. Victims express solidarity by saying #MeToo

Presently, the movement has gained much greater momentum in India. When Tanushree Dutta, a Bollywood actress, spoke out against the much revered Nana Patekar and his treatment of her during a shoot, she allowed #MeToo to go viral in the Indian social media sphere, albeit a little later than our Western counterparts. Other actresses, models, filmmakers etc. have been calling out their assaulters. Not only that, people who are not a part of the entertainment industry have also opened up about their own experience with sexual abuse, perhaps in the hopes of creating more awareness about not only how rampant this menace is but also how important it is for people to realize that the burden of assault is not the victims’ alone. With MJ Akbar stepping down from the Rajya Sabha and facing a serious law suit, we know now that the women in India have caused a storm and shown overwhelming support simply by tweeting day and night and sharing experiences of those who have suffered long enough.

The importance of this movement and social media being at the center of it all shows that never has there been a safe space for victims of abuse to speak up- a safe space that is flexible and one where it easier to find people with similar stories, dealing with similar pain. I’m not sure how many people can even talk about it with those who live around them given that we live in a society where awareness is not as widespread as abuse. However, digital media not only gives the option of anonymity but also lets stories reach places which it otherwise never could. The world can see what is happening in India. What started online has now been on every news channel in the form of headlines or prime time news debates. This movement is, in fact, all that India can talk about right now.

The place where many revolutions now take place is social media. It doesn't take much for one common man's story to go viral. 

So, taking these examples into consideration, there is consensus among many that digital media has gained a very significant role with relation to social movements. There are downsides too. Trolling, bullying, use of foul language, spreading fake information, pictures, screenshots, videos etc. are menaces to be dealt with.  However, in the larger scheme of things, there is very little that would deny the importance of this medium in today’s day and age in battling social evils. With more people being held accountable, more voiceless people finding a voice, people in the limelight using their popularity for good and with just more conversation about the world we live in and which demons we face every day, there is hope and promise. 

Protests are no longer happening just on the streets or outside offices of ministers. It’s everywhere – from our phones to the papers. Perhaps, this omnipresence that digital media gives to social movements is what will be the change.
It will make harder and harder to ignore ground realities and live in denial about the battles that people are fighting for our collective greater good.