Monday 10-05-2021 - 11:23

Written by Tamara Patrick, BAME Ambassador

 

Everywhere you look there’s controversy around social media and its benefits, especially when it comes to raising awareness and showing support. With topics such as race being at the forefront of a lot people’s minds recently, the controversy continues.

Take the recent racial injustices seen across America and the globe, igniting a rise in support for the Black Lives Matter Movement – countless people, brands and allies showed up to show their support, using social media in particular. What I saw for the most part was people who showed care and an interest for what was happening. But, as with most stories on social media, they have a short shelf-life, as did most of the support.

Across platforms like Instagram and Twitter, conflict between performative and progressive activism is something that is becoming a hot topic in itself. One of the most controversial moments from this year was the ‘BlackoutTuesday’ hash tag which circled Instagram in June during the protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd.

While it was meant to be a chance for activists from the black community to spread knowledge and awareness, thousands took hold of it and effectively ‘blacked out’ the whole movement for a day. On top of this we saw hundreds of brands, influencers and celebrities posting about how ‘terrible’ and ‘unfair’ racism is for one day a year, while going back to their normal lives immediately after.

It was disheartening for me and a lot of people, especially from ethnic minority communities, seeing big name brands post one black square or well-known celebrities’ tweet #BLM one time, then moving on. Many used it as a performance, a chance to gain likes, or portray a false sense of progressiveness.

We’re having to fight two battles, the one against the systemic racism we’re still faced with, and one against fake, performative allyship. More and more people are seeking ‘quick guides to being a good ally’ and demanding information from black communities, instead of beginning with doing the research themselves. Social media platforms have so much potential to share, maybe this is why there’s persistent demand for information from minority communities to find solutions to problems they didn’t create.

It’s so easy to get caught up online, finding yourself tired and disappointed by people whose support doesn’t come from the heart. With the last year being filled with as many ups and downs as it has, social media has been a place of community, but also one of negativity. Having ways to escape it is just as important as keeping in touch with what’s going on.

 

3 ways to keep your feeds healthy

 

Follow who makes you happy:I’ve found that removing the people who cause the controversy, whether it’s celebrities or influencers, and finding others to focus on, is a healthy step. @Briapaints is one of my favourite accounts on Instagram, she’s a black artist who I have discovered this year.

Escape to the real world:Whilst we’re spending a year locked inside, this may seem like a silly suggestion. I have found, it’s easy to get caught up and forget that social media is at the click of a button and can just as easily put it away so you can focus on what’s happening immediately around you.

Remember why you use it in the first place:It’s easy to forget that social media can be a place for just creativity and self-expression, rather than a place of endorsement, politics and negativity.

 

Find out more about the amazing work being done by the BAME Ambassadors and for regular updates and exclusive content, make sure to follow @mmubame on Instagram.