10 Ways Social Media Can Be Amazing

Social media gets a bad rap, there are many times it's used to do good. Check out a few reasons you should be grateful for the many mediums, and thank Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr for bringing back Chicken Fries.

1. It can be an alibi:

Via gifloop.tumblr.com

Rodney Bradford updated his Facebook status to say "Where's my pancakes" one morning in October of 2009. But what seemed like an innocent update ended up saving his life. The next day, he was named a suspect in a robbery and arrested. Bradford's attorneys cited the Facebook entry as an alibi that proved he was not involved in the robbery, and when Facebook confirmed that the update came from his home computer, he was released.

2. It can lead to marriage:

instagram.com

Denis Lafargue was browsing Instagram and checking out who his friends were following when he came across Elizabeth Wisdom's page. She stuck out because she had posted pictures of a trip to Crater Lake in Oregon that he had recently taken himself. He commented, and the flirtation turned into a long-distance romance, and then eventually an engagement!

3. It can serve as the ultimate "lost and found":

Dave King / Getty Images

When Lauren Bishop Vranch found a lost stuffed animal at Kings Cross Station in London, she was determined to get him back to his rightful owner. She began tweeting many pictures of the little fella, and he joined her on all her travels. Eventually, Ben Simpson saw one of Vranch's updates and recognized the "bear" as his daughter Phoebe's lion (named Roar)!

Lauren Bishop Vranch @laurenannbishop

Well done, internet!! It looks like the owner of #lostbear has been found. Bear is actually a lion - oops! :) Thanks everyone!!

04:45 PM - 15 Dec 2013

4. It can help people turn their lives around:

Handout / Reuters

Sarah Darling meant to give homeless man Billy Ray Harris some spare change. Instead, she gave him her engagement ring that was worth $4,000. Harris thought about selling it so he could get some food and shelter, but returned it to Darling instead. Darling and her husband were so thankful that they started a fundraising effort for Harris and ultimately raised over $190,000 for him.

5. It can help a very important TV show get a very important movie made:

Michael Buckner / Getty Images

When the last Veronica Mars episode ended, there was chatter about making a movie. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. didn't believe the show had enough fans to warrant one. But writer and producer Rob Thomas and actress Kristen Bell believed otherwise and started a Kickstarter project to get the movie funded. Not only did it raise the $2 million it sought out to, it went on to raise an extra $3.7 million. In addition to getting our movie, a spin-off web series called Play It Again, Dick is also now in the works.

6. It can send Pitbull to Alaska:

Lucas Jackson / Reuters

Singer Pitbull performs during the 2013 Z100 Jingle Ball in New York December 13, 2013.

7. It can help two best friends stay together:

AP Photo/John Minchillo, File

In December of 2013, Cecil Williams lost consciousness and fell onto the subway tracks in Brooklyn. His guide dog, Orlando, jumped down after him to help save his life. However, Orlando was about to turn 11 years old, which meant he would have to retire, and Williams would have to get a new guide dog. Williams wanted to keep Orlando, and so a handful of anonymous donors pledged their support so the two could stay together.

8. It gives us a reason to keep going:

Via vimeo.com

When Richard Dunn had to spend the night in Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport in June of 2014, he refused to let the time go to waste. Instead, he took the opportunity to film a rendition of Celine Dion's "All By Myself." He shot the entire thing on his iPhone, then posted it to his Vimeo account... and then it took on a whole other life of its own.

9. It can call people out on their crap:

Photograph by Reuben Wu / Getty Images

Twitter users @DBagParkingYYC and @DBagParkingYEG are devoted to exposing the people behind terrible parking jobs in Canada's Calgary and Edmonton. Brian LaBelle, who tweets from both accounts, has said, "We’ve gotten quite a few people telling us, ‘I re-parked my car three times today because i was worried about ending up on this website.’" Is he shaming? Sure. But it's the right thing to do.

10. It can help one guy make potato salad:

Lauri Patterson / Getty Images

In August of 2014, Zack Brown was in the mood for some potato salad. Naturally, he decided to post a Kickstarter project to raise the $10 he thought he'd need to make it. When people heard of Brown's hilarious endeavor, he found more support than he ever could have hoped for! People pledged a total of more than $55,000! So in addition to the potato salad, Brown plans to establish a fund to end homelessness in Central Ohio, and a for-profit company that will spread "humor and joy around the world."

Remember Chicken Fries? Of course, how could you forget! Well, thanks to social media, they've come back! So come and get 'em!