How do we navigate social media in a crisis
The recent events in Ukraine have had an impact on us all. From hope through to anger to anxiety… and it’s not getting any easier.
Social media has proven to have both a positive and negative impact in crisis; it helps us stay connected to each other, it's a space for activism and it's an outlet for people to stay educated.
But, there’s been no shortage of coverage of this crisis on social media and being constantly exposed to such events can leave us overwhelmed. We’ve certainly felt that recently.
Working in social media can make it challenging to stay sane at times when the world feels crazy. You’re exposed to more content and you might be expected to be an expert at how to adjust your comms plan. But this is new to all of us.
We hope some of these things that have helped us, will help you navigate social media with a little more sanity during these distressing times.
1. Don’t feel obliged to post anything.
On a personal level, you don’t have to ‘prove’ that you care and you don’t have to publicly demonstrate your emotional reactions to the current situation in the world. It’s also ok if you don’t have an opinion, or don’t know enough to have one. You don't have to explain your position to everyone, nor to take sides.
2. Be wary of information overload
It’s healthy to be aware of what’s happening but at the same time, it’s good to take a step back if it starts to feel overwhelming. We can become constantly bombarded with news and updates on social as well as the news. So we find it helps to be strict with yourself and set a limit or a specific time when you read the news. Reading too much about the conflict first thing in the morning can be a really upsetting way to start the day. And, if it’s affecting your mental health, it’s OK to mute or unfollow someone whose content makes you feel anxious or uncomfortable in any way. Give yourself the right to pause at any moment.
3. Communicate with your colleagues
Working in social, you may well be feeling pressure on what to do on your channels at this time. Large organisations may have directives from head office, but smaller teams may require your input. You may think what you’d normally post about feels insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Or you may feel uncomfortable doing anything ‘marketing’ wise at the moment. But if you discuss this with your team and your boss, you’ll find more brains are better than one.
4. Focus on what you can do here and now
There are many ways you can take action to help. You could donate to charities that help refugees, offer a room in your home for someone to stay in, sign a petition, write to your MP, help coordinate picking someone up at the border or buy medicine or non-perishable goods and send to those who need it with humanitarian aid.
Daily activities can feel very strange when we think about what some others are going through not so far away from us. But life carries on and, if we do what we can to help those who need it, work can actually help to help us feel grounded.