Blog #6 Challenge 3 Collect Part 3
Hey everyone. Challenge Three Part 3 was really interesting. I researched via Facebook and Twitter and found multiple great articles, tweets, and ideas from people all over the globe. What I found most interesting about social media, was that it was great to learn about different opinions from people who are not professionals in certain fields, or media members. It gave me a different lens from which to perceive the refugee crisis. For instance, some Americans may think one way about the refugee crisis, but people closer to the refugees can feel different.
I really enjoyed the results from Twitter. The Ted Talk we watched about the Twitter explosion was correct when the gentleman talked about how many news organizations use Twitter to give real time updates. The television is no longer the only way for people to communicate news, we can actually receive quick and updated tweets from across the globe. On Twitter, people can find pages and pages of tweets, articles, or videos with a simple search. I found many tweets about Kickstarter working with the White House to raise funds for the refugees. As well as links to blogs and pictures and videos of this tragedy. One picture that stuck out with me is one from Voices of Youth. It is a website that allows people, mainly young adolescents, to blog and use their minds and words to reach out to people. “No human being can be illegal.” These words really exploded into my mind. Countries and people want to refuse people refuge, even though they have nowhere to go. Here is a young girl, Lara, offering sage advice and words full of hope via blogs on social media. It is simply incredible because this couldn’t happen 10-15 years ago.
On Facebook I found similar results to Twitter. For instance, new stations like Fox News and CNN will use Facebook to post links to articles, or videos. This is also a very useful form of communication. Like Jill said, this kind of outreach that people, companies, and organizations have now was unobtainable only a decade ago. One article I really enjoyed was from Kickstarter. They teamed with the White House to raise money for refugees. The best part is all donations are completely tax deductible! It is a fantastic way to get people involved. There is also a video on the site explaining what Kickstarter and the White House are doing. https://www.kickstarter.com/aidrefugees
I believe that social media has more positives than negatives. In times of crisis or serious trials, social media is a strong tool to connect people for great causes. It was interesting to see how people view and think about the refugee crisis outside of an academic or professional atmosphere.
