War in Ukraine | What is our reach on social media?

We see yellow and blue flags appearing everywhere on social networks in support of Ukraine. Some publish photos of the bombed cities, or even links to make a donation to help the refugees. Is it a form of activism and commitment? What is the scope? And what about those who display their happiness on vacation in these times of school break?

Olivia Levy
The Press

Changing your photo to support a cause has become “a ritual”, explains Mireille Lalancette, professor of political communication at the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières. “It’s a way of taking part in a movement. People are expressing their support, we saw it in #BlackLivesMatters and in #metoo. It can be interpreted as a form of lazy activism. It’s giving ourselves the opportunity to express ourselves in relation to a cause that is close to our hearts and to show the whole world that we are not indifferent. »

For Nellie Brière, consultant in digital communications and social networks, publishing the flag of Ukraine means that we share the pain of Ukrainians. “We live in a country where there is a large Ukrainian diaspora. We want to support them. Some have friends who experience horror. We are touched, we support them as best we can, because it is very difficult to act directly, ”she says.

Emmanuelle Parent, doctoral student and lecturer in communication at the University of Montreal, thinks that there is a great feeling of helplessness at the moment. “People are wondering what role they can play in these events,” said the co-founder of the Center for Online Emotional Intelligence (Le CIEL).

In this troubled period, however, there is no question of judging anyone, recalls Nellie Brière. “It’s a stressful situation. You shouldn’t feel guilty. People need to clear their minds, think about something else, do activities with the children and post it on their social networks, it’s normal, there are mental health issues. »

Showing empathy

However, should we avoid broadcasting happy events from our daily lives on our social networks? Is this showing self-centeredness?

According to psychologist Rose-Marie Charest, children and families on spring break have the right to their happiness, which does not make them careless about the misfortune of others. “We experienced a trauma, the pandemic was long-lasting, we need to start enjoying our lives to the full again and that doesn’t take anything away from others,” she said.

Emmanuelle Parent reminds us that we must above all show empathy. “We are in a social space where we all have different ways of living and thinking […]. It is good to remember that on social networks, we do not know everything, far from it. It is not because we do not publish the flag of Ukraine that we are not affected by the conflict, she explains. We don’t share everything. It’s not because we don’t publish our ski outing that we didn’t have fun. You have to distance yourself from this pressure which can cause stress. »

“Unhappiness, there are daily in collective, individual, international life. We are not going to cut ourselves off from happiness because there is unhappiness. It’s spring break, let’s relax and try to reclaim our life, but let’s not forget that it’s not the only life that exists, neither at home nor elsewhere. If we can be useful, let’s be so,” says Rose-Marie Charest.

Mireille Lalancette indicates that when you change your profile picture for a cause, there is a desire for involvement. “Research shows that you are more likely to participate in a demonstration, to donate, to welcome refugees, it is a first step towards other stages of activism. People will want to get involved in their community, for example. »

Political effect

For Simon Thibault, professor in the department of political science at the University of Montreal, this type of movement on social networks has a real effect on the political level. “Flags on social media profiles are a manifestation of outrage, but when that online sympathy translates into major protests in Europe on the streets, clearly there is a political effect. . When the demonstrators shout “Do something”, there is an influence which is stronger and which facilitates political action, the responsiveness of politicians will be greater. If we see the flags on the profiles of social networks, but there is no relay in the street with demonstrations, the impact remains limited, ”he specifies.

Now, social media is involved in the information war. “When the Ukrainian president calls for the mobilization of users of TikTok, it is quite spectacular. There is a belief that there is a real political effect,” he says.

The professor indicates that in government offices, we follow what is happening on social networks and that this can influence politics. “Very locally, François Legault sometimes complains about criticism on his Facebook account, it is not always representative of the majority, but it can sometimes be. In this case, there is outrage over what is happening in Ukraine that is palpable across Western capitals, and politicians are not immune to it. »