What To Give Thanks For This Holiday Season? How About Social Media?

This past month I had an opportunity to visit several countries throughout Central and Eastern Europe and experience the rich cultural history that so many of these places have to offer.  Yes, if you are a friend on Facebook, you probably saw the countless photos that I posted of my trip.  It was my best attempt to put into perspective my experiences and provide a glimpse of the historical impact that these cities have had in the past century.

However, my iPhoto descriptions can’t do justice to the actions, some heroic, most despicable, and all unforgettable, that took place in such places as Berlin, Krakow, Auschwitz and Prague.  I understand that unless you actually visit, set foot on the grounds where some of these horrific events occurred, the lasting impressions aren’t quite as overpowering as what I experienced.

As I was posting my photos and thoughts on Facebook, I could only think to myself, “what if these social media tools were available during the Holocaust, or even in the later half of the past century?”  “Would those in charge of carrying out these terrible actions be in power as long as they were?”  “Would the actions carried out by the Czech student Jan Palach, who set himself on fire (and later died) in Prague’s Wenceslas Square in an act of political protest against the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, have happened?”

Yes, I dislike hypothetical questions as much as the next, and certainly understand that today’s technological innovations were but a pipe dream during this period.  But, needless to say, I think it is important that we ponder these questions, if for nothing else than to appreciate the significance that social media plays in today’s world.

We all understand that, in the world in which we live in, oppressive regimes still exist, implementing horrendous acts.  They make a point to crack down on social media usage by their citizens who attempt to speak out, doing so not because they don’t understand social media, but instead because they realize its power.

The positive impact that social media is having throughout our world is undeniable.  Let us not forget, particularly during this holiday season, that one of the things that we should be thankful for is the opportunity to express our political beliefs freely and openly through the use of social media.  We sometimes joke about it, but quite frankly, I can’t imagine our country and world without it.  It has been a force of change, all for the better.