How Social Media Helps to Mobilize Movements

A consequential role of the Legislative Branch is to check the power of the Executive Branch. So, when Congress allows a President to circumvent approved legislation, the foundational balance of power is fundamentally demolished. In other words, there’s never been a more important time in history to stand up for Democracy in America. With Constitutional freedoms in question almost daily, can social media activism help mobilize networks to fight for change?

Activists are wise to leverage social media for one simple reason — it makes action easier. Not easy. Not simple. Just, easier. Importantly, activism doesn’t have to be political. Anybody interested in creating or supporting a cause can be an advocate for change. When a network of people share similar opinions and grievances, a social movement can be created by taking collective action. 

Most of the social media options available today are designed for creating networks of like-minded people — a shared sense of community and identity is inherent. However, for activism to happen, online or offline, networks need to mobilize with specific objectives in mind. There’s no doubt that social media can help.

Internal Communication

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, should raise more than eyebrows — every agency they’ve entered has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs approved by Congress. Even Middle American farmers are affected. Trey Yates, a dairy farmer in West Virginia, recently lost his butter contract with the Mountaineer Food Bank because of the federal government’s funding cuts. What role can social media take in situations like these?

There’s reason to be hopeful about the potential for mobilizing networks for the public good. For networks to engage, they first need to communicate internally. Internal communication is more efficient through mobile apps like X and Facebook. Plus, there’s virtually no upfront costs associated with joining public or private groups, helping to reduce financial barriers for participation. Social media allows organizations to easily coordinate, debate, make important decisions, and determine next steps.

External Action

Of course, movements take members. Among the most important tasks for any activist group: recruitment. Social media is designed for reach and engagement. It enables fluid membership and allows for asynchronous participation. Of course, the more people that are aware of a cause, the more likely word will spread. 

Research also shows that face-to-face communication is crucial for building trust among members. The good news is that social media plays an important role in facilitating offline actions. Most of the modern social networking platforms run smoothly on our smart phones, enabling real-time communication. This increases the efficiency of coordination, and can facilitate a sense of urgency when necessary. 

Work in Progress

In 2023, a network of online volunteers mapped the addresses of earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey. Trapped individuals had been announcing their locations on Twitter, allowing rescue teams to quickly locate them. Social media was flooded with thousands of messages to aid in life-saving efforts, and rallying messages were transmitted internationally. Timely action like this would be virtually impossible without social media. 

As technology evolves, so does the role of social media in helping to organize and coordinate social movements. X (formerly Twitter) wasn’t invented for activism, but users have found a way to leverage it to benefit their causes. How ironic will it be, then, when activists start flocking to X to organize, plan, and protest DOGE? Many opportunities exist for activist networks to utilize new features that social media provides, rally support, and act. It’s never going to be easy to change public opinion, but it's only going to get easier moving forward.

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References

Cammaerts, Bart (2015) Social media and activism. In: Mansell, Robin and Hwa, Peng, (eds.) The International Encyclopedia of Digital Communication and Society. The Wiley Blackwell-ICA International Encyclopedias of Communication series. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK, pp. 1027-1034. ISBN 9781118290743

Elci, A. (2023, October 2). Turkey-Syria earthquakes: How twitter has helped find survivors trapped beneath the rubble. euronews. https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/02/10/how-twitter-helped-find-survivors-trapped-beneath-rubble-after-turkeys-earthquakes

Huffstutter, P. J. (2025, March 29). Trump funding cuts ripple through rural America. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/federal-funding-cuts-ripple-through-heart-trump-country-2025-03-29/

Sneed, T. (2025, March 30). Is Doge actually an agency? the answer could have major ramifications. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/30/politics/doge-lawsuits-elon-musk-role/index.html