As the pandemic has made so clear, social media can be a force for great good and it can be a source of great harm. We reached out to Aly Beeman MPH’20, to ask how she uses Instagram to share her global health journey.
With her work based in Kigali, Rwanda, Beeman is far from family and friends. “I follow most of my cohort from Brown. We didn’t get a formal goodbye because of the pandemic, so it’s nice to still be able to follow up,” Beeman said. She also uses social media to keep up with the School of Public Health and the greater Brown campus. But she understands the risks: “Social media can definitely be positive for public health messaging, spreading awareness, and education, but it can also be a hindrance to public health.
“In global health we need to be very careful of what we portray. I try to always take a positive stance. If there are people in my pictures, I make sure I have their permission to take photos and that they are portrayed positively.”
Follow along with Aly’s adventures on Instagram at @right_up_my_aly and be sure to tag @brownpublichealth in your posts!
