Lindsey Komson

We all know social media has its positives and negatives.

Nowadays, people are so quick to point out the negatives. But why don’t we try to see the good in these platforms?

Social media exists to connect people – it allows people to share in their friends and family’s moments from anywhere in the world, and to contribute to good causes with just a few simple clicks.

There are tons of positive movements that have come from social media – most notably the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014. Millions of people around the world came together to spread awareness about ALS by dumping ice water on their heads and nominating friends to do the same. According to The ALS Association, the challenge inspired over 17 million people and raised $115 million.

While the Ice Bucket Challenge is probably the most well-known use of social media for good, one movement that sticks with me happened in 2023, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a nationally televised football game on January 2^nd.

3 years prior, Hamlin set up a GoFundMe with a goal of $2,500 to support the organization he founded, the Chasing M’s Foundation, which is dedicated to making and maintaining an impact on the community he grew up in. Hamlin organized toy drives and other initiatives to support local children who were impacted by the pandemic.

USA Today reported that though December 2022, the GoFundMe had raised $2,291. 4 days after that football game, the GoFundMe had raised upwards of $8 million.

How?

The power of social media.

Shortly after Hamlin collapsed, people were all over social media begging to find a way to support him and his family. Someone found his GoFundMe link online and shared it on social media, and suddenly, hundreds of thousands of people were flocking to the link to provide monetary support.

Other NFL teams, players, and families from all around the country were sending money to Hamlin and his family. According to Forbes, the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are just some of the organizations who donated a significant amount to the GoFundMe.

The use of social media to support Damar Hamlin, his family, and his charity is why I am hopeful about social media’s ability to do good. If people come together to spread the word about and support important causes on social media, we will see a positive change.

There are positives and negatives to everything in life, but if we choose to focus on the positives, just like social media’s ability to do good in the world, we can make the world a better place.