#GlobalJustice?: Social Media, Pedagogy, and Activism

Abstract

Abstract This article addresses the evolvement of pedagogical content on global social injustices across social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. With increasing constraints on how we teach about injustices within formal educational settings, young people are increasingly turning to social media to obtain information on global challenges. Scholars have sought to evaluate particular political knowledge gained through social media and/or debate its effectiveness in mobilizing collective action. This research shifts our focus from such top-down evaluations of political knowledge and activism online to understand how those most active across social media engage with pedagogical content on social injustices. Drawing on focus groups with students aged 13–16 from four schools across the United Kingdom, the article will argue four key points: First, young people are extremely cautious about trusting information on social media; second, they are more likely to trust content from those they feel personally connected to; third, exposure to lived experience through social media creates affective learning and reflexive opportunities; and fourth, social media can provide a catalyst for further learning and activism.