The heinous attacks that began in Ukraine in February of 2022 left surrounding countries deprived of independence. The United States, having one of the top militias in the world, is unable to positively affect the well-being of Ukraine which has been rendered powerless due to Russia’s bombardment. 

The United States remains involved in the war in Ukraine. The U.S has targeted economic restrictions in Russia to control and target their import of technological goods. All direct exports, including navigation equipment, have been halted. Congress is controlling and cutting off Russia’s access to technology to protect against Putin’s ability to project more power. 

News from the war constantly appears on most news stations and social media platforms such as Instagram. Many individuals use social media as a news source, which often fails to incorporate all facts of current events. Current events teacher Molly Smith notes, “Almost 100% of students get their news from social media, which Americans heavily focus on for news.” She also adds that the war in Ukraine was heavily televised in the early months of the war; however, the stations do not spend enough time focusing on these issues. Senior Maggie McCormick adds, “This past summer, I worked as a tennis shop assistant at Myopia Hunt Club. One of the tennis pros also working there that summer was from Russia. Before college, she had lived entirely in Russia, and that is also where all of her family lives. She explained how different the news sources her family were exposed to in Russia vs. the information presented in our national news.” This demonstrates the lack of information presented by U.S news stations. 

News channels use bias in filtering information presented; however, there is some truth in these stations. Various channels have separate partisan associations where they show bias toward specific topics. Mrs. Smith suggests young people could benefit from watching the news. The more often one interacts with the news, the more likely they will get more factual information and the bias will be more diluted. She believes that social media conceals key information about current events. An example of this is Finland wanting to join NATO. NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which helps guarantee the freedom of its members through military means. Ukraine is not involved in this treaty, which is a problem because they would be in full support of their territory and domination. Finland faces Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and hopes to join NATO to stretch NATO’s border with Russia.

Social media posts aim to make others aware of issues in Ukraine, however, little is being done to support the Ukrainians in times of struggle. Americans must respond with more effective ways to better support those in need. The #UkraineWar has been viewed more than 600 million times on TikTok and 180,000 times on Instagram. Discussing her own use of social media, Maggie writes, “Because I have a significantly smaller audience, I do not repost everything I see that is newsworthy, but general topics that are important to me or topics that are less covered.” Many individuals like Maggie do not use their social media to inform others of current news events because they believe that it will not have much of an impact on these nations. Those with millions of followers should use their platform to give practical ideas on how to effectively support Ukraine rather than just updates on the crimes and battles. However, some social media networks have spread misinformation about the war, such as suggesting Ukraine has surrendered. 

Although Ukraine’s devastation can be appalling to viewers, Americans must be willing to help aid the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy uses social media to speak directly to citizens and to instill peace and strength among them. Similarly, Americans must use social media to truly benefit the people of Ukraine. Bringing awareness to the war and the destruction in Ukraine is the first step, but social media should be used to its fullest extent by detailing specific action steps that viewers can take to effect change. Social media can quickly mobilize advocates and harness the power of many, and U.S individuals can send humanitarian supplies, donate, or protest in one’s city. You can donate to the Red Cross’ Ukraine Crisis Appeal to provide aid to Ukraine. 

“FACT SHEET: United States Takes Further Actions to Counter Sanctions Evasion by

     Russia.” The White House, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/

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