Animals in the Law and Humanities - Ryann Fineberg

Animals in the Law and Humanities 

Presents:

Ryann Fineberg
Student, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute

"Social Media as a Tool to Mobilize Youth in Advocating for Animals"

Tuesday January 16, 2024
4pm - 5pm (EST time) on Zoom 

https://zoom.us/j/97782839184

Abstract: This paper will explore the benefits of using social media to engage young people in animal advocacy and how certain youth-focused platforms (such as Instagram and TikTok) can be used effectively to promote positive animal-related ethics. It will discuss social media’s unique ability to form and empower global, youth-led movements for social change (a notable example being Greta Thunberg’s mobilization of over ten million people in climate strikes), and how these same concepts of connecting with Generation Z could be applied to starting something similar for animals. The paper will question the current social media outreach approaches used by many animal advocates, which may at times motivate youth to poke fun at these people and the movement as a whole, and from a youth perspective suggest ideas as to how this gap can be bridged. It will investigate specific content and trends that register with young people today, such as informative videos, advocate features, and repostable facts/graphics, and determine how ethical perspectives on animals can be communicated through similar mechanisms. In essence, this paper will focus on social media and how animal advocates can impact young people effectively through its use.

For further workshop information contact events.law@utoronto.ca