Social Media Helps Us Figure Stuff Out

Image by Assistive Technology: https://www.levelaccess.com/

Social Media in Research

Social media is a research tool. There are many, many thousands of people looking at Facebook posts every day. Some of us scroll past the majority of posts until they find one that sparks their interest, while others are more meticulous at looking at exactly what is on there. During the remainder of this post, I would like to argue that social media has become (like it or not) a research tool. Now, if you were a scholar, you would probably not use Facebook to research your next Ph.D. topic. However, It is a decent research tool for the common, everyday person who is interested in what people are talking about, what music is popular at the moment, and what creams are likely to get rid of the latest blemish of today.

Todays young people like to get opinions from their friends and likely wont buy anything until three, four, or even ten people reply in a certain way. So yes, people leverage these networks to get information and then make decisions based on likes, dislikes, and comments. I am not likely to follow this way of thinking, however, I do know that social media is being used in a way that was not even fathomed in the past when I was in elementary school or even high school. Which by this point, is not measured in months or years… but decades. Who knows, maybe there will be a tool in the next decade we will have to learn about. But, whether it be a trade show, expo, or something else, people will gather with the goal of getting information about products whether it be for your home, specialty, or hobby. A lot of these get-togethers would not even be as big as they can be today without social media… at least in some way. They tell you what’s available, where a particular person will be, and what to expect.

Based on what I have said here so far, you would think that I celebrate social media daily and think it’s the best item since the first PlayStation came out.

Searching for Inspiration

So can anything on a group’s social media page surprise us? I will paint you a scenario: if someone feels isolated, if someone feels as if they need inspiration, can Facebook or Instagram or Twitter provide them with what they are looking for? I would like to argue yes. For example, as a person who does not move very well, I am familiar with this concept. There are several things people with disabilities can do. A person or group may feel free to post these experiences on social media. They may provide commentary on the experience through their videos or posts or choose not to. The aim and mission of most of these groups is to highlight possible positive future experiences for individuals with all kinds of disabilities. Having a video and seeing it may help shift one’s perspective, but it does not make the experience, a person must be motivated to act. They may well think “that person seems to be having fun! Why can’t I?” If social media is the bridge between these experiences and the people seeking them out, then so be it.

Please watch this video and see what a group of disabled paddlers did as they researched options for getting out on the water;

Video by AMI: Accessible Media Inc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K25W_zS706c

Now its your turn

Question 1

1. The main point of this post was that social media has changed research practices. How do you use social media to research?

Question 2

• If you are someone who uses social media as a point to do research, what barriers/ opportunities exist? And how can we make better use of them?

How I Would Market It

X – See how research practices have changed and how they can assist people with disabilities.

Facebook – Social media has changed the landscape of research. See how I defend this bold statement in my new blog post.

Isn’t Social Media Accessible?

Image by Jacksons Law Firm via https://www.jacksons-law.com/

Look at it this way

When the idea and concept of social media was first floated in the early 2000’s it was first marketed as a way of connecting people and although in many ways it still possesses that benefit, its scope has grown. Such a comment does not seem very insightful but that is not where I wish to leave it. I wish to have a broader discussion about not the accessibility of a page because anyone, in theory, could write content and post it and then monitor the discussion if they wish, but a much more nuanced discussion about the different features that have to be implemented within a page put up by any user of a platform to be truly universally accessible not in terms of making a post or comment live, but being able to “see it” for people with disabilities. I will try to explain this without being technical and do so by painting a scenario. Many of the posts that we see on these platforms rely on the simple fact that a person should be able to see the post as well as hear the post if it has any degree of audio attached. Now there are segments of the population who cannot through no fault of their own or an acquired injury be able to see, hear or comprehend content in the way the majority of people can. Which begs the question: how do we make that material accessible?

Many would argue that there are technologies available that make most things including social media pages easier to access for people with those limitations. These people would likely sight screen readers or text-to-speech converters that are out there as 2 of the most basic solutions and yes these features do exist but as of right now are not for the most part embedded in these platforms that people have come to rely on. That should and could change in the future. I hope that the designers of new experiences get a hint and do not rely on us to have our own technologies. Right now there are very limited accessibility features, in my opinion, and they are often buried amongst other menus. It should be available upon sign-up. If a person needs them, it should be in front of them: they should not have to dig for them.

Video by TEDMED

Here is an example of someone who needs increased accessibility features, please watch this Ted-Talk.

Now it’s your turn

I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Here are some questions to get you started:

Question 1:

As students with an interest in social media, it would stand to reason that we are all active on it to an extent. Prior to reading this post, did you know about any of these issues? Use your experiences to justify your answer.

Question 2:

Why do you think these issues are so prevalent? In your opinion, how can they design social media platforms that put accessibility more at the forefront?

How I would Market it:

X – What? I never knew that social media could include so many different accessibility features. Read my blog to discover more.

Facebook – I thought social media pages were accessible? Well, gain some insight into my definition and learn how much work still needs to be done to strive towards true digital accessibility.

Understanding Awareness Campaigns

Image by Shutterstock via https://bit.ly/3QOSd8P

Simplicity & Power

Social media regardless of platform can be seen as a communication tool. What someone wishes to communicate is truly up to them. There are a whole host of different pages and campaigns that deal with many issues. It is impossible for me to give justice to them all. But I particularly like messages that refocus one’s way of thinking. Non-profit organizations, multimillion-dollar companies or individuals can communicate these messages, which will be explored below using Permobil, Easter Seals and the ALS ice bucket challenge.

Do You Envision Yourself Here?

For the purposes of this post, I will focus on messages pertaining to difference and life enhancement. People are given a set of certain realities. For example, I was born into the reality that I am a disabled person. Over the last number of years, social media has made it possible for me to spread a wide number of messages about my perspectives on disability however I cannot take credit for all of it. I have used existing campaigns as a source of inspiration, whether it be Permobil or a photo-based campaign that highlights the different ways you can live life in a wheelchair. Outside of the stagnant image that most people associate with disabilities, I appreciate that this company has decided to highlight people with disabilities in an active form as people with dimensions and interests. And not people who can simply be defined by their disabilities or mobility devices. This campaign helps to illustrate that we are people who can function outside of our devices.

See what the company Permobil strives towards when it comes to enhancing the mobility and the amount of possibilities for the users of their product.

The power of a portrait. See how regular people are as active as they want to be using Permobil products. An example of an ongoing campaign where the individual and their interests are the focus.

Image by Permobil Portraits via https://bit.ly/3Qx7wSe

Wearing a Red Shirt, What Does That Do?

I would like to provide yet another example. A shirt is a piece of clothing, we all wear some type of shirt at some time or another. There are other organizations that have taken the simplicity of a shirt, put a message on it and then used it as a way of illustrating a point. By simply standing or sitting together with others in solidarity for a cause can create community. Social media was effectively used to spread awareness by Easter Seals Canada in partnership with their provincial counterparts. This is exactly what happened on Wednesday, May 31st, for the fifth annual Red Shirt Day when, according to a Facebook post, posted by the organization “ Today is the fifth annual Red Shirt Day of Action for Accessibility and Inclusion!” Where the shirt is red and simply says accessibility, inclusion and equity.

Watch this segment put together by City News. Easter Seals Ontario CEO Kevin Collins articulates the impact of a one-day campaign done through social media.

An example of what was posted on May 31st, 2023, on the Easter Seals Ontarios Instagram page, showing their connection to the nationwide campaign. Image by Easter Seals Facebook page via https://bit.ly/3tXBmHW

Getting Cold For A Cause?

Finally, there is the very real thought that social media has to fit into our lives and it does. There are a fair number of posts that people look at, click on and scroll through. What they think of while doing so is an individual exercise. However, people are prone to following the crowd, especially if it’s a group of friends or people that they know particularly if they are engaging in a simple activity that until then seemed uncommon. This is exactly what happened in 2014 with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. It became a viral campaign where people challenged others on social media to dump a bucket of ice water onto themselves or loved ones.

This video showcases how thousands of people from all walks of life and backgrounds took part in the viral campaign in 2014.

Thousands of people partook in the ice bucket challenge and posted videos similar to this one where they nominated others to participate as well. This screenshot was included with permission from the individual featured in the image.

Education about any topic is important it stands to reason that a person will spend more time educating themselves on topics they find important or compelling but social media with the help of a few well-placed words can act as a launching point toward a website, blog gallery or any other type of material. The more someone interacts with the concept idea or person the more education can happen as a result. I have briefly discussed three different approaches to educating yourself by using social media campaigns where the message and how you communicate it is important, but in all cases, social media can be argued was the delivery method however none of them have done it flawlessly.

There is always more to learn or elements that could be improved but there is no doubt that these campaigns at least start a conversation.

Links links, more links!

Want to find out more about these companies and organizations? Check out these cool web resources!

https://www.permobil.com/en-us

https://www.facebook.com/PermobilUSA/

https://globalnews.ca/event/8826456/red-shirt-day-of-action-for-accessibility-and-inclusion-2022-7/

https://www.facebook.com/EasterSealsON/

https://www.als.org/stories-news/ice-bucket-challenge-dramatically-accelerated-fight-against-als

Now it’s your turn

I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Here are some questions to get you started:

Question 1: Are you familiar with any campaigns that use similar tools to get their point across? And how effectively they have spread their message?

Question 2: What do you think is the disadvantage of social media campaigns that go viral? And what do you think causes them to go viral?

How I would market it:

Facebook: Hi guys, look at how awareness campaigns have used social media to get their message across! One wheel stroke, one shirt or ice cube at a time. https://bit.ly/47fgpqA

X: Social media is simple, it is perfect for spreading the word. This week, I share examples of effective campaigns that tell a story. https://bit.ly/47fgpqA

Using Social Media to Spread a Message From a NonProfit Perspective

To my reader, think about this for a second: have you ever thought about how long it takes for you to read a social media post? I suspect that in the time it has taken you to read these sentences, hundreds of people have written comments via social media. That can be both a blessing and a curse for any organization, for profit, as well as not-for-profit. This discussion will focus almost exclusively on the not-for-profit sector. Nonprofits typically use social media to highlight their core message and try and entice others to donate money to a certain cause.

The world needs nonprofit organizations. They are good at distilling a message down to its core elements, getting people to believe in a cause and then hopefully in some way, financially supporting that cause. Understanding why non-profits exist is important because they often do not spend as much money on flashy advertising or on the promotion of products.

Many of the nonprofits that I am accustomed to provide services to underserved groups. Part of their mission statement, regardless of who you are talking about, is to make the broader public aware of the contributions that these groups make despite the challenges that they may face doing so. Regardless of where you are in the process of making others aware of your brand, social media has become an indispensable tool for reaching broader populations.

There are a number of reasons why social media would be seen as effective at doing this, as it is free and easy to use. Yes, you may have to pay someone to help you come up with the content to put in the box, but the platform itself is free. On the flip side, social media has negative impacts: given how society operates nowadays, people often trust what they read and see on social media without even considering that the information may have been misconstrued in some way. From a logic point of view, we would like people to post on social media from a positive perspective but that is not always the case.

One could question how much time people use to think before they hit the button to publish their comments because the reality is they can post in seconds. Since reputation is so important to a nonprofit, that is why I think their communities are so controlled and they keep a tight lid on what exactly they post and when. Because they know that if their reputation would ever take a hit, it takes months or even years to rebuild public trust in the cause that you are trying to bring awareness to. Social media is not like any traditional media, in a traditional media perspective, there are people who look over and would offer suggestions based on experience. This lack of a filter or traditional editor contributes to the problem of what is an appropriate message and what is an inappropriate message.

The development of social media platforms has allowed people to interact with your material simply by clicking on it. They can react to the content through liking it/giving it a thumbs up, or sharing it with others. This functionality allows a message to be shared to large groups of individuals, many of whom have never accessed the information from the initial source.

During this discussion, we have spoken about social media in the context of nonprofits. There are elements of this strategy that are imperfect, as there are negative implications that come along with having such a refined message that is shared quickly.

That’s why nonprofits need some other platform like a website, to tell people what they are about, outside of the limited scope of a tweet or a Facebook post. Nonprofits need to develop a strategy that works together with social media where all the elements can contribute to a full picture. Figuring out how this full picture takes shape is often a long and complex process and this is often done by keeping your supports and the limited budget in mind. But there are many nonprofits that have navigated this space well which gives me hope for the future and optimism that they will be able to navigate this crowded space.

So now it’s your turn. Throughout this post, I have put forward some ideas, but now I would ultimately like to ask you, the reader, what you think. Or put another way, do you think the most popular platform is necessarily the best to help organizations or nonprofits build a community?

Facebook Post: Social media has many benefits. But is it the best avenue to help promote community for everyone? Check out my blog for more information. https://bit.ly/3ZxRZ8Q

X Post: Learn about the challenges that some nonprofits face promoting community in my new blog post. https://bit.ly/3ZxRZ8Q