We are five students from the Communication for Development Masters Program at Malmo University in Sweden. During the next few weeks, we will be blogging about online activism, new media, and technology while taking a closer look at the impact they make on society.
Just a few decades ago, we could not have imagined social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok would be the powerful tools they are today for activism, spreading social movements, advocating for social change and fighting for social justice. However, while social media have served marginalized groups of the society to advance counternarratives, unequal power relations are embedded in these and all new technologies, as they are in the offline world.
Is online activism available to everyone around the world, or is there a divide when it comes to access? How does the use of new media in the Global North differ from the use in the Global South? What kind of difference do we make when we join the latest narrative?
As we focus on reexamining online activism, new media and technology, we hope to create a place for reflection, discussion, and exchange as we consider the different effects they have on society. Our focal points will involve the gender, racial, and economic inequalities that exist between and within the global North and South when it comes to access and how we can all keep working together towards the decolonization of activism, media and technology.
It is our hope that with our blog, we can promote critical thinking about online activism, new media, and technology and at the same time, raise awareness about how much of an impact you can make. We want to inspire and motivate you to join this conversation about how we can become involved global citizens for the betterment of society.
Please share our blog with friends that are interested in these issues, and share your thoughts on activism, new media, and technology by commenting on our posts. What do you want to read about?
This is Decolonline – Welcome to our blog!