On Tuesday, the Susan G. Komen Foundation announced that it would restrict its previous funding to Planned Parenthood for low-income women in need of mammograms.
I found this news out not on television or in the newspaper, but on my Twitter account. My timeline was littered with posts about the Komen Foundation’s decision. Almost all of them bashed the foundation’s decision to cut their funding from Planned Parenthood.
This decision was not only documented in the traditional news outlets, but through social media avenues such as Twitter and Facebook. Articles, videos and interviews were shared and everyone was giving their two cents. There was a lot of backlash and by Friday, the Komen Foundation had reversed its decision and have posted apologies and explanations.
Here is one from the foundation’s founder Nancy G. Brinker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4oOh6JhayAThe Komen Foundation posted a statement on their blog to explain the details of their decision and what they plan to do moving forward.
What has happened with this particular situation has shown that social media can be used as a tool to have your voice heard. My personal reaction to this event is that social media is this generation’s picket sign. Instead of marching and waiting for news outlets to react, people are able to use their individual voices to make a clear statement about what they want.
In this case, it obviously worked. Social media isn’t just for casual conversation anymore. The conversations have become much more important and could potentially spark any type of revolution.
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