Can Social Media Save Lives?

Since the social media boom, the question remains: Does this unprecedented freedom of expression serve or harm society? In the past two decades, platforms have unquestionably amplified tragedies, fueling bullying, mental health crises, and suicides, and leading to real-life violence. Still, social media can also mobilize global outrage, apply unbearable pressure on authorities, and literally save lives.

Take, for instance, the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, sparked by Boko Haram’s 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria. This hashtag exploded worldwide, prompting action from journalists, civilians, and politicians. The movement initiated diplomatic efforts and negotiations for years. While, sadly, 100 girls remain missing or unaccounted for as of 2026, the online movement directly contributed to the escape of 57 girls early on and the phased release or rescue of over 100 more between 2016 and 2018. In this case, the success and power of the social media campaign were clear and unquestionable.

So was the case of Rimsha Masih, a 14-year-old Pakistani Christian girl with intellectual disabilities, who in 2012 was falsely accused of burning pages of the Quran. A blasphemy charge in Pakistan is punishable by death. Widespread national and international advocacy work was launched to save her, coupled with viral social media campaigns, and eventually the pressure became too much to bear: she was acquitted of all charges and escaped to safety in Canada with her family.

Or we can think of the viral hashtag #QueremosAObtilia (#WeWantObtilia) from 2019, when two human rights defenders, Obtilia Eugenio Manuel and Hilario Cornelio Castro, were kidnapped in Guerrero, Mexico. The immediate social media campaign drew national and international attention and amplified public pressure on authorities. As a result, their lives were saved, and the two were released alive by their captors within 96 hours.

But we see the same pattern in recent conflicts as well. At the dawn of the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023, Hamas took 251 hostages. Hashtags like #BringThemHomeNow and multimedia campaigns sharing each captive’s story kept global pressure intense. Many releases, including that of 21-year-old Israeli-American Edan Alexander, whose parents’ advocacy and public campaigns (including direct appeals to U.S. leaders like President Trump) helped spotlight him as one of the last known living American hostages, are widely credited in part to online mobilization and social media campaigns. 

Turning to Iran’s one of its deadliest protests of the last four decades, social media appears to have saved another life. Erfan Soltani, a 26-year-old Iranian shopkeeper, was arrested on January 8 amid anti-regime protests and was reportedly sentenced to death in a fraudulent process on charges of “waging war against God.” Human rights groups like Iran Human Rights and Hengaw rang the bell and warned of an imminent execution. Once the news reached social media, the response was explosive: #SaveErfanSoltani has been trending globally, generating hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of impressions. Soltani’s face not only became a focal point but also humanized the broader uprising despite the regime’s internet blackout. 

As with Edan Alexander, the campaign reached President Trump, who warned Iran of “very strong action” if the execution proceeded. 

Iran, following its familiar propaganda playbook, on January 14th, denied that a death sentence had been issued, claimed the charges were non-capital, and informed the family that the execution had been postponed. Crucially, the execution was not cancelled, only delayed, and by this, the regime is exposing a clear contradiction within its own shifting statements. 

Activists, social media influencers, and reports credit the massive international mobilization for pressuring the regime to back down, at least temporarily, preventing what could have been the first protest-related execution in this wave. 

Of course, not every viral campaign succeeds. A similar level of international attention and virality surrounded Mahsa Amini, who became a defining symbol of the Women, Life, Freedom movement in 2022–2023. Global campaigns coupled with social media campaigns aimed to save the 22-year-old woman but ultimately succeeded only in delaying the outcome. Mahsa Amini was brutally beaten during her arrest and while in custody and later died from the severe injuries she sustained. 

In recent days, we have also seen the darker side of social media when influencers started to spread information about a secret assassination of Soltani. These posts, especially during such intense emotional times, spread rapidly, go viral—and if we are to be fully transparent, generate income for their creators. This is why, beyond our original question on whether social media is “good” or “bad,” we must continually examine the ethics of content creation in a world where speed and virality often outweigh verification and fact-checking.

On January 17th, Soltani’s mother shared a video denying the false news. As of January 19, 2026, to the best of our knowledge, Soltani remains detained, with ongoing unrest keeping risks high.

If we are playing by the stipulated playbook, this is the moment when social media campaigns ease up and are prematurely considered “resolved,” or because unverified claims of his death are believed. Both are dangerous and can lead to the actual tragedy that the campaign was initially aimed at preventing. Maintaining pressure through sharing #SaveErfanSoltani and beyond is, therefore, crucial.  

These examples illustrate social media’s power to intensify and amplify urgent human rights crises, generate international pressure, and put authorities to the test before the world. 

Their success, however, does not depend on pure luck. Rather, it lies in swift reaction, the humanizing effects, the involvement of high-profile voices, and alignment with broader diplomatic efforts (like President Trump’s public warning). Only when these factors blend together do they become a force capable of suspending or reversing deadly actions. And in these cases, social media does more than raise awareness. It quite literally saves lives.