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COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic started in December of 2019, then spread more rapidly in 2020. Social media perpetuated the pandemic by spreading misinformation and disinformation on Meta platforms. Meta responded by attaching a statement to certain posts warning users of misinformation, and leading them to official CDC information instead. However, many people made vaccination, mask, and quarantine choices based on the information on social media rather than official channels. -
Black Lives Matter: the death of George Floyd
Following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, social media played a key role in increasing support for the Black Lives Matter campaign, which initially started in 2013. Virtually every social media platform was used for this, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and Twitter/X. These platforms were utilized to coordinate protests, spread videos and pictures, and cause the issue to become more conspicuous. -
U.S. Capitol Attack
Following the defeat of Donald Trump in the 2020 election, a mob attacked the U.S. Capitol Building. According to Joan Donovan's article in the Scientific American, "Networked incitement involved insurgents communicating across multiple platforms to command and coordinate mobilized social movements in the moment of action" (Donovan, 2024). In other words, this attack was coordinated through social media to attract insurgents and bypass the mainstream news to accomplish the purpose of protesting. -
Mahsa Amini
In Iran, Mahsa Amini was arrested because she refused to wear a hijab. She died in police custody. Twitter (X) saw more than 80 million hashtag tweets after the incident, and the Iranian government ended up blocking content on Instagram and WhatsApp in an attempt to control the unrest. Social media became an outlet in which women shared videos of cutting their hair to protest against what happened. -
Israel vs. Hamas
Following the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, social media has perpetuated the disruption of these conflicts. TikTok has primarily been used to circulate graphic images and videos that have reached the populace. One concern is that the narratives created on social media, while compelling, may not be accurate due to screening from the Israeli government.