“I think climate change is a problem.”
Cue a sea of heads nodding and a chorus of agreements.
Replace that statement with another liberal-sounding claim and, chances are, many people in the Bay Area will agree.
While some people claim that they support a cause, many do nothing but tweet about it.
On Twitter, it’s easy to find millions of tweets from users who are angry or passionate about an executive action, climate change, or pretty much any action regarding social issues. While it’s necessary and important to voice opinions regarding a certain cause, it’s even more necessary to back those opinions up with actions.
In today’s social climate, the power of words is used frequently.
Rallies, protests, debates — all of these are examples of social activism. For example, “Ferguson” was one of the most hashtagged words on Twitter, showing that people are trying to stimulate conversation around the topic, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center study.
Such words that spark conversation and bring attention to issues have an indispensable role in today’s society, especially when they lead to action.
But right now, it seems like we’re stuck.
When it comes to the issue of knowing how to act on our words effectively, we’re stuck. We talk and tweet about social issues, but we make no further effort to implementing a change.
Shifting the cycle from conversation followed by nothing to conversation followed by solid action is something that can be difficult.
But what people can do, especially high school students here in the Bay Area, is focus on smaller, more local changes. While age may be a limiting factor as to how much one can get involved, especially for students, there are many ways to support a cause.
So the next time you say, “I believe in climate change” or “I support animal rights,” make sure your actions support those statements.
This editorial reflects the views of the Scot Scoop editorial board. This editorial was written by Celine Yang.
