Social MediaAn Animal's BestFriend

Image via flickr - Catsy Pline

By Renée Rosario

Social media has the power to quickly and

efficiently connect the world

Image via flickr - Jason Howie

A simple like or share of a cute animal video might seem like a

small part of someone’s day.

However, people have saved the lives of thousands of creatures all over the world, using the power of social media

Image via flickr - user eltpics

For most people, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter

and Instagram have become an everyday part of life

Image via flickr - Nicholas Nova

"I'll look around and everyone is doing something different on their device," — Andrea Tomkins, in The

Globe & Mail

Source Zosia Bielski, A Break From Technology Image via unsplash - Marc Andre Julien

Image via pixabay - user Pexels

"Using social media like Facebook and

Twitter has become part and parcel of modern

adolescence"Source Common Sense Media Social Media, Social

Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives

We express our individualism

through sharing, engagement and conversation on

social media

Image via flickr - R4vi

Image via Wikimedia - Nathan Keirn

"ultimately what’s successful are campaigns that speak to us, that share

things we care about that succeed."

Source Sarah Bradley The True Power Of Social Media Share

The human brain reacts to animals uniquely compared to

the way it reacts to other humans, objects or places

Image via pixabay - user Pexels

Combining this with the amount of time people spend on social media…

Every video about any animal is a success

Image via flickr - Michail KirkovAdd a

Image via Pixabay - user Inkuuz

The direct effects model tells us how media is powerful and

audiences are weak

This is no surprise though

Source Video "film240 module 01 lecture 02

part 02" from Sidneyeve Matrix via Vimeo

Image via flickr - John Tornow

This isn’t necessarily a bad thingOne share can gain the attention of millions

We have turned our attentions to an "online world of intimate strangers" –

Catherine Steiner-Adair, Harvard Medical School clinical psychologist

Image via flickr - Jacob Bõtter Source Zosia Bielski "A Break From Technology"

Image via Max Pixel

The right picture with the right caption can easily pull in a large audience of willing

adopters

"Social media helps to spread the word of animals

needing homes, you see a dog you like, you tag a friend, they encourage you to come visit and before you know it we're waving goodbye to another happy adopter," - Claire Garth of the Sydney

Dogs and Cats HomeImage via pixabay - user unsplash

Source Ariel Bogle "How Social Media Helps

Bring Shelter Animals Out Of The Shadows"

Social media has the ability to connect homeless animals with owners from across the country

Image via Max Pixel

"By using Facebook, organizations can put up pictures of the animals in need of a home with completely

personalized profiles of each animal’s personality and story. When these posts are liked and shared, they reach

an even wider audience. All this can be done in minutes,"

Image via flickr - Stig Nygaard

Source Social Media and Digital Business

"Social Media Increasing Pet Adoption Rates".

Image via flickr - user Goneys

Personalized animal profiles create a choice

abundance for prospective pet owners which increases

social media demand

Source Video "FILM 240 Lecture 01 Media

Convergence 2017" from Sidneyeve Matrix via Vimeo

One of the great aspects of social

media is its ability to create and educate

Image via flickr - Natalie Shuttleworth

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) uses shock advertising, such as short messages and graphic images of abused animals on social media in order to educate and capture the attention of thousands of people around the world

Image via flickr - Laura LaRose

"PETA has a strong and loyal animal-activist audience consisting over more than 2 million+ followers on Facebook alone. An approximate 10-20,000+ shares, 20,000+ likes and thousands of comments about these issues occur within each

graphic image PETA posts."

Image via flickr - Ibai LemonSource Mike J. Lemon "Can Social Media Save Animals?".

PETA spread constant awareness of the whale abuse

taking place in Seaworld

"There’s no better way to kick off #OrcaWeek than by reminding

SeaWorld that you will NEVER give it your money until it stops exploiting

animals! Tweet “I’d rather [blank] than go to @SeaWorld. #OrcaWeek

#SeaWorldSucks @peta2.”"

Image via flickr - Adam

Source Danielli Marzouca "I'd Rather

Eat Kitty Litter Than Go To Seaworld!"

Image via flickr - Christopher Michel

Videos and pictures of the abuse have been shared thousands of

times and in 2016 Seaworld ended it’s

orca breeding program partly due to the

backlash received on social media

When used properly, social media has the ability to save the lives of thousands of creatures worldwide

Image via Max Pixel

SOURCES

1. Bielski, Zosia. "A Break From Technology". http://go.galegroup.com/. N.p., 2013. Web.

5. Bogle, Ariel. "How Social Media Helps Bring Shelter Animals Out Of The Shadows". Mashable. N.p., 2016. Web.

2. Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives. 1st ed. Common Sense Media, 2012. Print.3. Bradley, Sarah. "The True Power Of Social Media Share". State Of Digital. N.p., 2013. Web.4. Film240 Module 01 Lecture 02 Part 02. Vimeo: Sidneyeve Matrix, 2017. video.

6. "Social Media Increasing Pet Adoption Rates". ISYS6621: Social Media and Digital Business. N.p., 2015. Web.7. Film240 Lecture 01 Media Convergence 2017. Vimeo: Sidneyeve Matrix, 2017. video.8. Lemon, Mike J. "Can Social Media Save Animals". Modern Buyer Behaviour. N.p., 2014. Web.9. Marzouca, Danielli. "I'd Rather Eat Kitty Litter Than Go To Seaworld!". Peta2.com. N.p., 2015. Web.

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