The great thing about social media was how it gave a voice to the voiceless

Posted on November 9, 2019 by the Editor

By Barakat Abdulrazak. Barakat is a student at the University of Abuja, Nigeria. Please read her article and leave your thoughts and comments below.

When defining self-worth, what comes to your mind first? For some, it’s having a value, while for others, it’s the ability to be bold and confident and social media allows us to have that in our hands. Social media has given a voice to so many people who find it hard to express themselves, which is important because expression is key. People are increasingly relying on social media to express themselves positively and accurately.

There are certain things we don’t talk about in public but have been given the opportunity to talk about on social media. You won’t hear people talk about sex, miscarriages, rape, homosexuality and so many things in public but social media changed that. We see people who have been victims of sexual harassment open up on social media rather than in real life probably because of fear of discrimination.

These people share their experiences and try to spread awareness, we see rape victims who at a point in life attempted to commit suicide explain how they survived and overcame their fears, we see people coming out owning up to their sexual orientation and not being scared or ashamed about it, we see housewives who got married at a young age without having the opportunity to complete their educations strive hard to study with the help of online courses, we see people talk about their family problems or relationships anonymously and are given positive advice. These people have been given a voice they thought they would never have.

Social media has also helped people show off their unique part, something that might be hard to do on a normal day. Take for instance a photographer whose work is not being appreciated or patronized, who is given an opportunity to showcase his work, get credit for it, be encouraged and to promote his business. Both young and adult teenagers who have passion to write but have not been given a platform to channel their emotional energy and thoughts have also benefited from social media, entrepreneurs are able to advertise their business or products, artist, architects, and the rest have also being given a voice too.

Social media also encourages face-to-face communication; it brings you out from your comfort zone and shapes you to be an even better person; it gives you value and allows you put your better self out there, brand your network and build relationships. It has given a chance to people who never expected so much and has helped most introverted and shy people break out of their shells. Social media is like an open book and it allows everyone to share their opinions. No opinion or idea is futile. It has given a voice to the oppressed, people who have insecurities, businessmen and women, job seekers, students looking for scholarship and so on and so forth. I can’t explain how much social media has given a voice to so many voiceless people including myself.

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83 comments on “The great thing about social media was how it gave a voice to the voiceless”

  21. Amina salihu on

    I agree with you
    There are some things we can’t really discuss in public but have been given the opportunity to discuss on our social media platforms
    I hope you win and I wish to see more of your articles

    Reply
  33. Anderson Godwin on

    Great article…
    There’s certainly no ‘connected era’ without a connection.. social media is the connection that is bringing about the incoming era. No social media we’ll have only tv stars, thanks to social media we now have social media Stars, that’s wealth creation.

    Reply
  35. Abdallah Opti on

    THIS IS AN AMAZING FANFIC HOLY HECK
    YOU HAVE TRIED I MUST SAY
    I LOVE IT WELL WRITTEN
    KUDDOS 💪🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️

    Reply
  50. Alex Suzy on

    This is so true. So many individuals hv been silent but were given courage to speak thru social media.
    Ur article is so perfect nd I pray God lift u to d height u want in life. Amen.
    Kudos my baby girl

    Reply

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