When technology is used for good it’s a beautiful thing. And this week we’ve witnessed some amazing ways technology and social media have been used to fuel the call for social justice for the murdered Florida teen, Trayvon Martin. Even if you had no clue who Trayvon was and lived with out a television, you probably still saw his name in a tweet, Facebook post, a video, or blog online–but those are mere mentions. Another important story is how the movement, now known as a “Million Hoodies,” has came to life online.
People love to rally around causes and like the Occupy Movement and Stop Kony, A Million Hoodies actually began offline due to gross social injustice. When there is political and social unrest, often individuals use their social profiles and social networks to express their feelings and opinions with friends, family, and like-minded individuals. And that sharing of feelings and information is what makes the tools of social media an ideal tool for rallying people.
Watch the video to see an exploration of just how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other online social tools are being used to undergird the call for social justice for Trayvon Martin’s family. And after seeing it, hopefully you’ll have a better understanding of what the phrase, “going viral”, really means.
