Picture these scenes for a moment. An innocent African-American adolescent lying dead on the pavement after being shot for holding a BB gun. An 18-year-old Pakistani girl, whose face got heavily disfigured after trying to escape from sexual slavery and human trafficking by the Islamic State (IS) radical movement. A young Indonesian girl, getting raped by 19 men, could not even let out a squeak for help as she was too paralyzed to do so. An unconscious college girl being raped behind the dumpster, only to see her rapist getting a 4-month sentence from the courts. An immigrant from China living in the UK, who faces horror of losing her job and all of her future prospects after Brexit happened. North Korean youngsters trying to escape from their reclusive regime with the threat of never making it out alive.

Close your eyes, contemplate about those moments for a while. Do you feel resentment? Indignation? Sympathy? A sudden urge to want change?

As young adults/teenagers, we often feel helpless when offered such complex social and political issues. Unfortunately, most of us do not have the money and resources to directly help those inflicted by global adversities. However, with the assistance of advanced technology (social media), everyone is able to acknowledge and act on social problems directly from their phones/computers. Social media, when used righteously, can be a platform to increase awareness, regarding social calamities, among teenagers. Several archetypes of teenagers who blatantly voice out their relevant concerns are Amandla Stenberg and Mina Hill.

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Even though she is only 17 years old, Amandla presents herself as both an activist and a feminist, merely through her social media (Instagram, Twitter, etc.). Fully aware that she has attracted a massive number of followers, Amandla uses social media to educate the youth about cultural appropriation, feminism and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. She also passionately shares donation links that advocate the black community under the prejudice conduct of US police officers. Despite being a minority, Amandla—a 17-year-old African-American girl—is able to produce change with the assistance of social media. Her ardent actions allow her to educate more adolescents as she is being invited to speak at New York University forums.

 

A photo posted by amandla (@amandlastenberg) on Jul 7, 2016 at 5:04am PDT

Mina Hill, a 19-year-old Pakistani girl living in New York, showcases her blatant opinions and flawed body figure (with stretch marks and all) on her Instagram and Twitter. She voices out her concerns regarding violence on women, underage prostitution and human trafficking that keep happening, especially throughout East Asian countries. Being a Muslim living in the States, Mina comprehends the racist remarks of terrorists that gravitate towards the minor community. Through her platform, she educates her followers on her beloved religion and perpetually emphasizes that the teaching of Islam does not condone terrorist acts (IS, Al-Qaeda, et cetera). Therefore, Mina believes that it is genuinely biased to assume all Muslims are terrorists. 

In addition to her passionate defense of Islam, Mina also teaches her followers—mostly young girls—to love their bodies despite all their imperfections. Having gone through a severe eating disorder when she was just 15, she understands how young women can have harmful ideas about their appearances. Mina insists her followers to nurture themselves with healthy food and education. Ultimately, she successfully delivers her message to thousands of followers every day. Social media has also helped Mina gain acknowledgement from a famous clothing brand and magazines, which supports her to keep voicing her concerns on contemporary and relevant subjects.

Somehow, some disdainful individuals would appear and ask questions that contradict the positive impact of having social media: “So, everyone can be an activist/feminist now?” My personal answer to that is: YES, everyone definitely can. It cannot be denied that adults sometimes disregard youngsters’ opinions solely due to their age. Nevertheless, the world rolls from crises to crises, and teenagers need a way to cope with it.

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Growing up in a developing country like Indonesia, I had always assumed social media as a strategy to boost ones’ notoriety, or basically just to show off affluence and vanity. In the past, I thought the most privileged individuals were the only ones who could be prominent activists, voicing out their concerns in forums such as TED Talks. Not until I stumbled upon Amandla and Mina’s pages was when I finally realized the powerful influence of social media.

When used correctly, social media has the outmost power to continuously educate and inform teenagers on a global scale. Social media helps people to comprehend the actual pain and perspectives from less-privileged ethnicities/individuals currently experiencing these afflictions.
 

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Celine Christina is currently a local business student, who is passionate in literature, history, and psychology. Almost 19 years old. She writes at celineelol.wordpress.com.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.