social media and organ donation Archives -

Can Social Media Be Used for Social Good?

Of course, you already know the answer to this one: social media can absolutely be used for social good. But here are some examples that are really positive. Because who doesn’t like good news? By the way, here is an article you might like: This Is What I Really Really Love about Social Media.

Animal Rights

Actor Ricky Gervais, while not a huge fan of social media, mentions how animal rights petitions can be signed online, changing things quite quickly. There are countless examples of reversals in policy due to people demanding animal rights. People can quickly collect money for a necessary operation for a beloved pet, and they can post about animals available for adoption online, too. The ASPCA recently showcased an article about the positive effect social media has had on animal shelters and rescues.

Human Rights

Like animal rights, human rights can be influenced by social media. Take this article from Amnesty International about how social media is transforming human rights monitoring. Since the emergence of social media, elections are being monitored more than ever. Journalists cannot be everywhere at the same time, so citizens tweeting and posting can fact check and witness what is happening around the globe at lightning speed.

Organ Donation Awareness

During the past ten years or so, organ donation awareness has been mentioned more often, with living donation increased. My good friend Amy Donohue donated her kidney as the result of a tweet she saw. She’s working on “Social Media Stole My Kidney.” And she took a trip across the U.S. to raise awareness. Follow Amy on Facebook.

Land Trusts

One of my favorite ways to use social media for social good is raising awareness. Land trusts can connect with donors, host events where citizen scientists are invited to participate, thank volunteers, and so on. Land trusts help to preserve the places that we love. There are many land trusts all over the country–simply type in land trust and your location to see some local to you. I really like Sempevirens Fund, which protects redwoods near where I live. Do you have a favorite?

Photo by elpinto007

Giving Campaigns

Giving campaigns, such as Giving Tuesday, allow nonprofits to establish channels for donations to favorite causes. Giving Tuesday allows nonprofits to discover new donors, as well as raising awareness. Giving Tuesday has been successful largely due to social media.

How is Social Media Changing Us for the Better?

We are continually hearing about all the negative ways that social media has changed us. How about the positive side of social media, though?

Photo by Wonderlane

Finding Organ Donors

Organ donors have been able to find donors more easily through social media. Social media does save lives! For instance, my friend Amy Donohue donated her kidney because of a tweet! See her story at Social Media Stole My Kidney.

Getting Connected Socially

For me, knowing that I can log onto Twitter nearly any time and get on a chat is tremendously positive. And I run #DigiBlogChat on Twitter every Tuesday at 1 p.m. PDT, so that is a tremendous way to stay connected, too.

Photo by PebblePicJay

Sharing Family News and Photos

Didn’t everyone get on Facebook to share news and photos? It’s the fastest way to update an entire group of people when you have personal news.

Finding Work, Especially Remote Work

Lots of companies now use social media to post their jobs. You can also use social media to check out what a company’s policies are, to look at complaints lodged against them, etc. Before you join a new firm, why not check out their reviews on Google and Facebook?

Reconnecting with Old Friends

We’ve all found people on Facebook whom we haven’t seen in years. Whether those people want to be found is another story.

Photo by brunkfordbraun

Promoting Your Business

Advertising on social media is a huge deal now. Do you use social media for advertising? And what is your favorite platform for doing that? Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram are my favorites.

Getting Petitions Signed and Laws Changed

I love that petitions can now be signed so quickly and change laws. This is another way that social media can save lives. It used to take weeks or months to get enough signatures on a petition. With social media, the whole process can take days or hours.

Sharing News about Disasters

Whenever there’s an earthquake, I jump on Twitter to see where it was, how big it was, and who is affected. And you can check on Facebook to see if people have marked themselves ‘safe.’

Discovering Weather and Traffic

Want to know what the weather is for the upcoming week or that camping trip? Jump on social media to see! Your local weatherperson probably has their own social media accounts where you can get very personalized weather reports.

Photo by geckzilla

Helping Those Who Are Isolated

If you’re in the middle of the desert somewhere, as long as you have a connection, you can get updates from friends. You can also make friends, find a partner, and become less isolated.

How Has Social Media Changed Your Life for the Better?

This is my list. Maybe you have other ways that social media has helped you connect, reconnect, find the news you want, or…? Please let me know in the comments! And thank you.