A major social media movement to “reclaim social media for good” went viral in early February, with thousands of individuals, charities and organisations actively calling for more positivity on social media, including Comic Relief, NCVO, the Institute of Fundraising and Whizz-Kidz. The movement, which has been trending on Twitter, reached a staggering 10 million people within the first five hours on social media alone, and was supported by people such as Miranda Hart.
Leading with the tagline “There’s too much negativity on social media nowadays. Let’s reclaim social media for good”, the #ReclaimSocial movement is designed to challenge the overwhelming negativity on social media, and call an end to fake news, bots and trolls. The campaign, led by tech-for-good platform Lightful, is shining a spotlight on the countless positive stories from charities, social enterprises and individuals – many of whom are already using social media for good – under the single banner hashtag #ReclaimSocial.
From the Plunkett Foundation underlining the role of rural community co-operatives in helping people overcome issues such as loneliness and isolation, to Personal Group raising awareness of their work with the Memusi Foundation helping children escape poverty through education, to the RNLI showcasing the dangers of the water to young men, the #ReclaimSocial movement is giving a voice to an extraordinary amount of positive and high-impact stories that would otherwise risk being drowned out on social media.
The campaign has been amplified by digital OOH specialist Outdoor Plus, who have donated six iconic dig- ital roadside screens to the cause, reaching an audience of approximately 1.7 million people in premium locations across London, including Euston Underpass, Greenwich and Wembley Way. The sites will also share some of the latest live tweets of people using #ReclaimSocial, providing a real-time view of how people are engaging with the campaign.
Vinay Nair, CEO & Co-Founder of Lightful, said: “Charities and social enterprises have some of the best stories to tell, which is why we’re delighted to help grow the potential of using social media for social good – we certainly need that to happen now more than ever. We are humbled to see so many people get- ting behind the #ReclaimSocial movement, and this feels like just the beginning. We’re also excited to amplify the voices of great causes on some of London’s most iconic billboard locations, via our partnership with Outdoor Plus. It will be brilliant to see live tweets showcasing what people are saying about the campaign in real-time, proving just how well outdoor can complement a live social media campaign.”
Ruth Owen OBE, CEO of Whizz-Kidz, said: “Social media is hugely important for many of the young wheelchair users we support, not only for connecting with their friends but also the wider world. What’s more, Whizz-Kidz sees social media as a vital tool for raising the voice of young disabled people and challenging negative perceptions of disability, and for us #ReclaimSocial is an opportunity to celebrate the individuals and organisations using these platforms to effect positive change.”
Links
https://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/home/