The Algorithm of Survival : How Gazans Navigate Social Media to Seek Aid
James Hadland explores how social media is being used by Gazans and how the world is responding to it in a time of despair
In Gaza, a region perpetually teetering on the edge of catastrophe, survival demands ingenuity beyond the physical. Amid bombed-out buildings and blockades, a different kind of resilience emerges—one that thrives in the digital realm. Social media, particularly Instagram, has become an unlikely lifeline for Gazans striving to break through algorithmic barriers and capture the world’s attention.
“desperate pleas for aid replace the veneer of normality”
This digital adaptation is not mere happenstance but a calculated response to an era where visibility is currency. Social media algorithms prioritize engagement, favoring entertaining, relatable, or visually striking content. To navigate this system, Gazans post light-hearted, visually appealing content—viral dances, scenic backdrops, or humor-laden memes—that initially appear to conform to Instagram’s aesthetic culture. Yet embedded within these frames is a jarring pivot: the laughter halts, the idyllic scenery dissolves, and stark reality is laid bare. Videos of rubble-strewn streets, anguished faces, and desperate pleas for aid replace the veneer of normality.
This narrative sleight of hand is not just resourceful; it is a stark commentary on the limitations of digital platforms in amplifying voices from the margins. The algorithm does not respond to despair alone—it responds to engagement, compelling those in crisis to package their suffering in ways that adhere to digital dynamics. Content that demands attention through relatability or levity acts as a Trojan horse, smuggling in the weight of Gaza’s plight past algorithmic gatekeepers.
Yet beneath this creativity lies a deeper question about the ethics of digital activism. Experts in algorithmic design suggest that platforms like Instagram privilege the performative and the palatable, sidelining raw urgency. This dynamic forces those in crisis zones to commodify their suffering, transforming trauma into shareable content. While such methods can bring tangible benefits—NGOs report spikes in donations and awareness following viral posts—there is an inherent unease about how tragedy must often conform to the logic of virality to elicit empathy.
This phenomenon also exposes structural inequities in the digital age. Social media amplifies those who can master its algorithms, leaving less media-savvy voices unheard. It challenges the notion of technology as a democratic force, revealing its complicity in perpetuating visibility hierarchies. Gaza becomes a microcosm of this tension: a space where innovation thrives out of necessity, but where the burden of adaptation falls on those least equipped to bear it.
Beyond the algorithmic battlefield, Gazans also face the threat of digital suppression. Reports of shadow-banning, content removal, and restricted reach disproportionately affect posts highlighting Palestinian suffering. Social media companies cite content moderation policies, yet critics argue these measures often silence marginalized voices rather than protect users. The result is a digital landscape where even survival itself must be curated, repackaged, and strategically deployed to avoid erasure.
This struggle for visibility is not isolated to Gaza. The global digital landscape has evolved into a battlefield where information is power, and social media has become a weapon in the fight for narrative control. The coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict, in particular, has underscored the importance of social media as a tool for challenging dominant narratives. Mainstream media outlets, often seen as complicit in perpetuating biased portrayals, have been criticized for sidelining the Palestinian experience. Social media offers an alternative—a platform where individuals, free from editorial gatekeeping, can tell their own stories.
“giving the world access to a perspective often omitted in mainstream media”
Since the escalation of the conflict on October 7, 2023, Palestinian voices have flooded digital spaces, presenting raw, unfiltered accounts of the devastation in Gaza. Activists, journalists, and even ordinary citizens have become citizen-reporters, sharing live updates, videos, and testimonies from the frontlines. Figures like filmmaker Bisan Owda, photojournalist Motaz Aziza, and Gazan doctors such as Ghassan Abu Sitta and Yousef Alsweisi have used Instagram and Twitter to expose the horrors of war, giving the world access to a perspective often omitted in mainstream media.
The rise of independent digital voices challenges the information monopoly that has long dominated the Israel-Palestine narrative. Gazans have taken on the mantle of digital activists, providing a counter-narrative to the mainstream portrayal of the conflict. This grassroots reporting offers the world a glimpse into Gaza’s daily reality—one filled with destruction, fear, and the constant fight for survival.
The global impact of this digital activism is undeniable. Social media platforms have been instrumental in galvanizing international solidarity. Protests, fundraising campaigns, and movements like the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign have gained traction, fueled by the visibility provided by social media. These digital actions serve as a reminder that even in the face of digital suppression and censorship, there is power in collective action.
However, the ability of these digital voices to effect tangible change is not without its challenges. While social media has democratized access to information, it has also amplified misinformation and polarized discourse. Algorithms that prioritize engagement can distort the truth, turning complex geopolitical conflicts into viral soundbites or moments of fleeting sympathy. Furthermore, the saturation of distressing content risks desensitizing audiences, reducing the emotional impact that such posts once held.
Despite these hurdles, social media remains an essential tool in the battle for visibility and justice. As Gazans continue to navigate the complexities of digital activism, their efforts highlight the evolving role of technology in shaping global perceptions of conflict. Social media platforms have become arenas of resistance, where survival itself is not just a matter of physical endurance but of maintaining a presence in an ever-changing digital world.
“but also a plea for an algorithm to translate suffering into action”
In Gaza’s digital theatre, every post is a testament to resilience and resourcefulness, but also a plea for an algorithm to translate suffering into action. It is a modern paradox: in seeking visibility, Gazans reveal not just their plight but also the silent complicity of a world conditioned to scroll past despair. The struggle for survival in Gaza is no longer confined to physical borders—it extends into the realm of cyberspace, where engagement metrics and algorithmic biases dictate who gets to be seen and who remains invisible.
As we witness this digital uprising, we must confront the reality that social media, while a powerful tool, is not a panacea. The struggle for Palestinian visibility and justice continues, not only in Gaza’s streets but in the digital spaces where the algorithms of survival determine who is heard and who is erased.