4.2 Social Media and Global Challenges

There are many global issues that plague our world today, whether they are economic, demographic, political or environmental 🌎 But, the good news is, with the increase in the role of civil society, people have risen to the occasion. The advacements in technology have permitted people to do great mobilizations that raise awareness and demand action from other actors. In the next section, you will read about some of these global challenges through the perspective of the contemporary world. After all, the power is all in our hands... 🙌

Social Media and Global Challenges 🤳📱

Today, social media has invaded every aspect of our lives. It has influenced the ways we shop, research, look for entertainment, communicate, and so much more... It has made the world seem smaller by allowing people to be more connected. For all their advantages, there are serious consequences involved in the rise of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc., and our increased dependence on using them. 

Let’s take a look at both the positive and negative components of social media, all of which can be applicable in the USA and Spanish speaking countries, as well as how social media has had a pivot role in recent current events in the US and Spain.

Image from Pexel

El Positivo 📈

• Effective and easy communication made possible through email and text messaging services, regardless of what type of phone you have.
  • WhatsApp specifically revolutionized how we text messages on a global scale. It allows you to send messages, pictures, videos, and voice recordings using WiFi rather than relying on a cell phone carrier.
  • WhatsApp is the dominant form of messaging worldwide and is abundantly popular in all Spanish speaking countries, from Mexico down to Argentina, and across the ocean in Spain
• Improves business interactions and allows small businesses a stage for both local and global audiences.
• Need information quickly? A recipe? A movie quote? You got it on numerous social media sites!
• Researchers, doctors, and scientists can easily convey their findings and share scientific developments, creating a broader interchange of ideas.

El Negativo 📉

• It’s easy to become addicted to screens and sacrifice time with friends & family.
• The rise of social media platforms in popular culture has led to dangerous comparisons in regards to body confidence and self-esteem. Unfortunately, this has led to an increase in teen suicide rates within the past decade.
• Not every person has the same amount of access to WiFi/social media, creating a divide between people and cultures.
• Easy availability of illegal or inappropriate materials.
• An abundance of information from both credible and non-credible sources makes the truth behind situations and studies confusing and socially divisive.

Image from Unsplash

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Political Implications 🪧

Social media has given everyday citizens the power to communicate instantaneously, record what’s going on in their city, and broadcast it on a global stage. As a result, we’ve seen in many countries how social media has launched uprisings, demonstrations, or at the very least, greatly altered public opinion.

Image from Unsplash

USA 🇺🇸

• Black Lives Matter Movement
  • Co-Founder Alicia Garzia shared the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter after the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2013.
  • Since then, social media has become the dominant force of promoting the message that black lives matter and bringing public attention to consistent police brutality in the black community.
  • This past summer of 2020, the recording of George Floyd’s murder by 17-year-old Darnella Frazier reignited the movement and forced Americans to witness with their own eyes the murder of an innocent black man.
  • Her recording was the single most important piece of evidence in the Derek Chauvin trial that found him guilty on all 3 accounts, as well as causing an awakening to many Americans the importance of the #BLM movement.
• #MeToo
  • The hashtag #MeToo created a viral sensation in 2017 after multiple sexual allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein went public.
  • Celebrities began by spreading the hashtag #MeToo on Twitter and Instagram and opened the floodgates on the sexual abuse women have faced everywhere, including outside of Hollywood.
  • Americans (and non-Americans too) began to share their stories and draw public attention to the previously tabu topic of sexual assault.

España 🇪🇸 

• Catalan Independence Movement
  • Since 2012, the region of Catalan in northern Spain has been asking for autonomy and complete independence from Spain.
  • Social media has helped Catalan protesters organize demonstrations, and helped mobilize votes in a 2017 referendum vote to approve a resolution declaring independence from Spain.
  • Although the declaration did not receive recognition from the international community, social media still paved the way for Catalonia residents to share their beliefs and continue to publicly protest Spain’s refusal of their independence.

Image from Unsplash

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Strive for Five Vocab  🔑

• Actualizar - update
• Agregar - to add
• Borrar - to delete
• Mensajería instantánea - instant messaging
• Difundir - to spread
• Chatear - to chat
• Mercadeo - marketing
• Foro - forum
• Influenciador(a) - influencer
• Descargar - to download
• Enlace - link
• Etiquetar - to tag
• Red social / redes sociales - social media
• Mandar un tweet  - to send a tweet
• Piratería - pirating
• Seguidores - followers
• Suscriptores - subscribers

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¡Vamos Practicar! - Task Model 

Lee el seguinte artículo: Muy interesante.es, Sarah Romero, "Los 5 trabajos que resistirán la era de los robos" 

Intenta responder las seguintes preguntas: 

• Which aspect impedes the automatization of a job according to the text? /¿Cuál es el aspecto que impide la automatización de un trabajo de acuerdo con el texto?

Possible answer: El aspecto que el autor dice en el texto que impide la toma de un trabajo por un robot es la subjetividad  que es parte de la condición humana. En otras palabras, hay una combinación de emociones, intuición, razonamiento que no se puede repetir. 

• Which are some of the jobs that the author believes cannot be automated?/¿Cuáles son algunos de los trabajos que la autora cree que no pueden ser automatizados?

Possible answer: Algunos trabajos que necesitan la subjetividad humana son mencionados en el texto. Por ejemplo, el trabajo de maestro no es algo facilmente sustuido, especialmente maestrso de niños. La humanidad no va a querer que los niños crezcan como robos, pero como humanos. Además, el texto menciona la política y como es imposible practicarla sin emociones. La humanidad va a querer que humanos tomen decisiones para la sociedad humana. La autora también enfatiza que el trabajo de de atleta profesional no sería facilmente sustuido también pues los robots no van a competir a ver quién es mejor o más veloz. 

Vocab from the reading / Vocabulario del texto 🔎

Comportamiento - Behavior 

Ordenadores - Computers 

Subjetividad - Subjectivity 

Intocable - Untouchable 

Reinante - Reigning/Dominant 

Acceder - Access