Opinion: 4 reasons why development professionals can’t be social media skeptics
A closer look at the ways leading global development organizations have tapped into social media to advance their causes shows that ignoring social media may mean missing out on having a greater impact.
“‘Is this really worth our time?’
It’s a question I get a lot when talking to fellow global development professionals about how they might be able to use social media. In my previous role in the world of youth-led political advocacy, social media was not just a tool for our work — it was often its lifeblood. So, imagine my shock when, after making a career change into global development, I encountered a new type of person: a social media skeptic. This person generally knows how social media works, and might use it personally or for news, but would not consider it an important tool to advance their organization’s mission.
Of course, this mindset is understandable. Social media — think Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, etcetera — is often portrayed as something for millennials to post pictures of brunch or cute puppies. But a closer look at the ways leading global development organizations have tapped into social media to advance their causes shows that ignoring social media may mean missing out on having a greater impact.”