Instagram: Pitstop for the Protest Movement.

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Photo by [Zac Freeland/ Vox]

Examples of Instagram posts being used to educate and inform.

Amulya Chirravuri, Writer

Instagram is an app that the majority of Millennials and Generation Z use to escape the world and its politics. In the past, it was often criticized as being detrimental to young people’s mental health. Now it is praised as the home of many young activists who are looking to change the world, spread knowledge, and start conversations that lead the change for a better society.

The appeal of consuming political content on Instagram comes from the simplicity of it. Most politics seems hard to understand but with Instagram’s 10-slides-per-post layout and visual aesthetics, the heavy information has been cut into bite-sized chunks that everyone can digest. 


Are they Biased?

Though Instagram may seem to be a good source of generalized information, there can be some misinformation due to the biases of the creators. In an era where more and more members of younger generations are playing an active part in the future of America and its politics, many take clear sides. So it’s best to watch out for information that may seem biased and one-sided.


Are they Factual?

Instagram guides are so easily shareable, which gives them the power to help raise awareness on pressing issues and act as a starting point for anyone looking to further educate themselves. Fact-checking becomes essential when dealing with information being spread en masse through social media. In a place where anyone can post just about anything, the danger of misinformation is high.

Voters during the 2020 election were susceptible to lots of misinformation because of “the way propagandists are relying on images and proxy accounts to make and circulate fake content” says one social intelligence expert.

Facebook, Instagram, and their CEO Mark Zuckerberg have been criticized for neglecting to act on posts that encourage violence, hate speech, and false facts. So even though Instagram slides make it much easier to understand difficult topics, it is always best to fact check; most posts have the sources used listed within the post itself.


Do they Actually Help?

We see a lot of content being shared via Instagram and it can all seem very out of our hands, but some is coming from our very own Franklin High students.

“CATF … provide(s) motivated teens with a platform to work towards making a difference during these times,” says Mia Magliari, a junior at Franklin High who, alongside other teenagers, started an informational Instagram account called COVID-19 Awareness Teen Task Force (CATF).

“Our account helps our viewers by giving them a way to learn about the pandemic that is much more concise and less confusing than what we usually see on the internet.”

Want to support CATF? Join their virtual 5k starting Nov 1, 2020:

The organization is always looking for new ambassadors – the primary role of said ambassadors is just to repost CATF Instagram stories and support fundraisers by advertising them in their communities, but a lot of the ambassadors also write blog posts and plan fundraisers.

For more visit their website: https://www.covid19atf.org/


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Even with its ups and downs, Instagram has helped many young and upcoming activists find their platform which they use in hopes of creating a better, more righteous world.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”- Harriet Tubman