The impact of social media

We live in a world that is dependent on, and sometimes helpless without, social media. Social networks and social media deliver us our daily news, our research, our references and our entertainment — all integral components of our lives. As such, it’s crucial to be careful when posting information on social media, as well as sensibly filtering the digital information we receive.

Social media has undoubtedly increased the speed of our information. We receive information within seconds of it happening. We can receive news of a disaster or a situation fast enough to have time to prepare for it. Last week, we got information about Rayshawn Watkins, a UT student who was assaulted off-campus, via Twitter. President Sharon Gaber responded to the tweet about the incident the very same day, showing the UT community that the situation was being addressed before it escalated any further.

Social media rapidly communicated important news that kept students informed on what was going on. It helped show us that President Gaber’s administration was going to handle the situation transparently and communicate the actions being taken.

The assault was allegedly racially-motivated, and as UT is a community of students from diverse backgrounds, misinformation could cause unrest. Thus, social media has played an important role. Because of the fast pace and organization with which this information was circulated, UT addressed concerns as they arose.

Social media, however, also has another, less-helpful side. The circulation of the picture of a battered Watkins on Twitter caused alarm in the UT community, evoking strong feelings of concern about racism on campus. While this is a valid concern, several students chose to express their frustration with the issue by making implied threats, which caused alarm in the Greek community.

Social media played a crucial role in the awareness, escalation and de-escalation of tensions and fear. It was social media that alerted everyone to the situation, and it is clear how it can be used as a tool to enact change. However, while UT and Gaber were able to assure students that the situation was being handled, the same channels of information were used to vent the unease of students both within and outside of the situation.

Thus, social media has a significant degree of power and influence, and it has to be managed responsibly. People on- and off-campus are still discussing the consequences of Watkins’ story. How the story is passed via social media from this point onward will determine whether there will be a positive or negative outcome.

We live in an age where technology affects every sphere of our lives. It is also true that technology holds the ability to cause a lot of chaos and the ability to upend a community with one sentence or a single picture. As it has become an important part of our lives, we need to understand that it holds the ability to drive change, but whether that change is positive or negative is completely up to us, its users.