Students of Parkland shooting took advantage of social media to advance their message of more gun control, Dicks sporting goods responded.
In light of the recent tragedy at Parkland High School in Florida, politicians, individuals trying to push their own personal agendas, and any person with a minuscule amount of internet fame took to the internet to use the tragedy as a platform to attack their opposition. While these groups were all busy attacking others about their opinions, there was one group that positively impacted change through the use of social media–the students of Parkland High.
These students took to social media with a positive viewpoint to make their cause heard. The most notable response to this is from Dick’s Sporting Goods. Since the shooting, Dick’s has recently removed modern hunting rifles (assault rifles) and bump stocks from their shelves, along with banning the sale of guns to any individual under the age of 21. While most felt that they would be hit with backlash and boycotts, they were actually met with praise and understanding for their decision. The students accomplished part of their campaign not by going after their opposers, but by building their own platform on positive reinforcement they were able to achieve their goal through social media literacies.
