Social Media For Social Good: A Guide To New Media For College Activists

Department

Communication

Authors

Charles Harris, Western Kentucky UniversityFollow

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

In a world of Tweets and status updates, how do we take all those hours perusing social networks and put them to good use? In my thesis project, Social Media for Social Good: A Guide to New Media For College Activists, I explore the uses of these networks to activate people towards building positive social change. It is my opinion that college is the best time to be an activist. How do college students communicate? Social Media. From the campus to the global scale, social media can be effectively used to mobilize people to take action on a wide array of issues. Navigating all of the services, and their uses for the student activist is complicated, and therefore my guide presents some insight on how we can take Facebook and Twitter past FarmVille and updates on your morning breakfast to a useful set of tools for organizing and mobilization. The work concludes with a look at some emerging social media for the organizer to pay attention to that will shape of the world of tomorrow, along with the work they do.

Advisor(s) or Committee Chair

Dr. Sam McFarland

Disciplines

Communication Technology and New Media | Other Communication | Political Science

Recommended Citation

Harris, Charles, "Social Media For Social Good: A Guide To New Media For College Activists" (2011). Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 320.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/320