Since its integration into our digital world, social media has played a pivotal role in youth organizing and social mobilization. Yet, people’s access to these platforms is increasingly coming under threat from courts and legislatures under the guise of protecting young people online—presenting a significant hindrance to youth organizing.
In a major recent example, Meta
settled in a lawsuit
with 52 states and territories regarding the use of Instagram and Facebook by young people. The settlement will require Meta, and pressure other non-Meta owned platforms like TikTok and YouTube, to embed age gating practices into every product while also requiring restrictions on the accounts of people under-18, such as a two-hour daily time limit and content restrictions.
Youth Power on Social Media
Young people have been using social media for political advocacy and community organizing for more than a decade. From organizing
protests speaking out against police brutality
, to organizing
nationwide school walkouts
demanding safety in schools from gun violence, and
striking to demand
lawmakers take action to protect the climate, social media has become an instrumental tool for youth to both speak out and connect with other young activists.
Instagram has
become especially useful
for activism online by young people. The features on the app make it a helpful tool for being able to efficiently and quickly spread awareness, which is especially important when people need to share real-time information. For example, 17-year-old
Darnella Frazier’s video on Facebook
showed the world the murder of George Floyd.
The impact of youth activism online is also evident on non-Meta owned platforms, with services like TikTok and YouTube being
particularly
prevalent
spaces
for young people to share their stories, build movements, and amplify collective engagement.
However, in a digital world operating under the settlement’s new guidelines, young people risk not b
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