Recent events regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have shown the importance of free press and social media being more relevant than ever.

What even is social media? Investopedia best describes social media as a quick source for sharing information and communicating.

Social media allows us to share our thoughts, feelings and lives in a public setting. It also allows us to share information and spread awareness.

News outlets have also turned to social media in efforts of reaching out to a broader audience because who isn’t on social media these days?

Over 3.6 billion people utilize social media platforms worldwide and is expected to = reach 4.4 billion in 2025.

Social media has always been a platform for sharing and since the pandemic, social media has become more adept at being a platform for spreading awareness and a place for more than just selfies and group photos from last night’s party.

Recent events have proved that social media also serves as an important political outlet.

With the Black Lives Matter movement, folk began sharing more information and spreading awareness on social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok through infographics, photos, live videos and more.

Through social media, individuals have had the power to share gofundme pages, links to various resources making efforts to end the homelessness and financial aid crisis, infographics with detailed data and research, and extensions to receive support through peers.

Many believe that social media is bad for our youth and society, but a lot of good comes from these platforms.

Throughout the past few weeks, tons of videos have gone viral displaying the capital of Ukraine and how the country has been suffering through attacks. Some even call this the world’s ‘first Tiktok war’ because of the amount of online exposure.

Because such a large portion of the audience on these platforms are newer generations they begin investing themselves in social justice and activism resulting in important and relevant information being boosted to the top receiving more views.

Social media has become more than just a place for pictures of our cats and selfies with our friends. It’s a platform being used to spread awareness – fostering a society that can make genuine efforts to create change.

While we have news outlets that provide us with information, social media allows us a first-hand view of world events and is faster at sharing information.

More people are on social media nowadays anyway, which is why so many news outlets have invested in Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Free press refers to the right of newspapers, magazines, etc. to report news without being controlled by the government. This goes for social media, too.

Imagine a world with regulated social media. Where social media posts must be approved prior to being published online – if it involves anything in relation to a certain political stance, it won’t be accepted.

A world without free press would be like Russia, where online access to anywhere outside of our home towns would be limited, if not cut off completely.

Putin’s actions for a war on Russia has definitely allowed us to see social media in a brighter light, appreciate free press and realize its importance in our society.

Without social media, we wouldn’t know about the reality of current life in Ukraine with the war, the moments before George Floyd’s death in 2020 [sparking the BLM], or anything that has been exposed or made aware of through social media.

So what should we do? Continue to utilize social media as a platform for expression/free press, social justice and spreading awareness.