Girls Tweeting (Not Twerking) Their Way to Power

As word of the coronavirus outbreak spread, so did misinformation, so the World Health Organization began working with big tech companies to put a stop to it. Collaborating with the likes of Pinterest, Google, Twitter, and Facebook, W.H.O. has posted content that disputes the incorrect information across platforms and sites in order to make "falsehoods harder to find in searches or on news streams."

Boosting trust in vaccines requires rebuilding confidence in the health system. In France, where as many as one in three people express skepticism regarding vaccinations, health officials have undertaken proactive social media campaigns against disinformation in addition to increasing mandatory vaccine requirements for children. The lag in vaccinations among the French follows decades where several high profile failures of the health system led to widespread distrust and harmful long-term effects on vaccination rates.

A pilot project at New York University called "E-Responder" trained 26 anti-violence counselors at five sites across the city to interpret online posts threatening violence and intervene before virtual violence turns real. Nearly all their interventions ended peacefully. That is not conclusive proof that this prevented violence, but it's a strong correlation that inspired spreading the program to 18 more sites. Social media "cyberbanging" is the virtual equivalent of threatening gang graffiti that turns deadly. E-responders work with on-the-ground intervention teams and police to change risky behavior.

Colorful volumes of books have aided teaching for centuries; however, the scope of engagement in the internet age demands newer methods for pedagogy. Pinterest, a social media-constructed visual bulletin board, has become a venue in which teachers share their pinned visual media, lesson plans, and charts with students and other teachers. The success of Teaching Pinterest expands pedagogy, reduces teacher alienation, enables collaboration with other teachers, and directs readers to other sites that offer teachers’ curriculum ideas for a cost.

In an effort to address online violence children face in the digital age, initiatives across several countries, including Spain, Romania, and Ukraine, are getting creative using theatre, media literacy training on AI and algorithms, anonymous reporting hotlines and classroom phone bans, among other strategies to help youth cope. The various initiatives have proven successful. For example, the school-wide phone ban in one Spain region resulted in a 27.42% decrease in cyberharassment cases between 2023-2024.

The Everywhere Is Queer mobile app houses a directory of over 13,000 LGBTQ+-owned brick-and-mortar and online businesses, services and community groups around the world. The app features a map that highlights LGBTQ+-friendly businesses and safe spaces for members of the community and allies to frequent. The app also features a job board and access to therapists and has been downloaded over 80,0000 times since February.

The Nigeria-based Bauchi Feminist Internet School is bridging the gender gap in digital literacy and safety in the country. The school teaches youth, primarily young women, how to safely use the internet and encourages them to advocate for change.

When Facebook rolled out its Free Basics program offering internet services through a company-controlled portal, Indian activists launched the Save the Internet campaign to oppose the initiative and the practice of "zero-rating" on the grounds that these practices violated Net Neutrality. Through marches, social media organizing, and viral videos, the movement was able to sway public opinion and the Indian regulatory authority ultimately outlawed zero-rating.

A growing Generation Z movement is pushing back against social media companies and the pervasiveness of technology in young people’s lives, which can negatively impact mental health. LookUp is one organization that funds young people working to increase digital wellbeing. Funded initiatives include a youth summit that drew 1,200 people, apps that help people manage their social media usage and identify the connections to their wellbeing, and NoSo November, which urges young people to log off or delete all social media apps for the month of November as a group experience rather than an isolating one.

endoQueer is an online support network that provides a safe space for queer, trans, and non-binary people with endometriosis to build community, get support, and find resources. The site offers rigorously-researched resources, advocacy tips, and mutual aid. LGBTQ2S+ people can also find specific examples of how to advocate for inclusive care. endoQueer was consulted by Canada’s only endometriosis charity to help them create a blog highlighting the experiences of queer, trans, and non-binary people. The site also serves as a resource for health care providers looking to provide supportive and inclusive care.