Social media is around to stay, but it's changed a lot since its inception — especially for celebrities on Twitter. The social media site was once a place where celebs could update fans on their upcoming projects, and it still is to a degree. But over the years, stars have realized that with an audience so large at their fingertips, they could really make some changes in the world. These days celebrity activists are everywhere on Twitter. They support causes ranging from equality to animal rights to water conservation.
Huffington Post spoke with actress Sophia Bush about her transition from regular Twitter celeb to social media activist, and she explained the reasoning behind her increased focus on doing good.
Back in the day, I really didn’t understand the notion of it. I kind of thought social media was very self-promotional and weird. It was actually the oil spill that happened in 2010 that got me on Twitter. I traveled to New Orleans and spent all my time on the Louisiana coast for 10 days with Global Green and on my way there I said, "That’s what this is for. The stuff I’m going to see and the things I want to talk to people about. That’s my reason to get on social media."
But Bush isn't the only Twitter celebrity to use their influence for the betterment of the world. If you don't already, you need to follow these nine other celebrities to see all the good they're doing with their web presence.
Emma Watson
The Harry Potter star is tackling gender inequality head on: She's a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, and as such has made numerous high profile speeches. Her Twitter feed is full of her #HeForShe campaign and it's enlightened a lot of her young fans about the importance of men and women coming together in support of gender equality.
Tom Hiddleston
He's not a frequent tweeter, but when he does log on, he's almost always spreading awareness for a charity. His main focus is on helping underprivileged or starving children around the world through UNICEF — but he's supports everything from gender equality to ALS research.
Patricia Arquette
Her amazing equal pay speech at the Oscars was only the tip of her activism iceberg. Arquette frequently tweets about causes close to her heart like LGBT rights and feminism.
Mark Ruffalo
The Avengers star is a huge environmental activist. He can usually be seen tweeting about anti-fracking efforts, but he's a big supporter of feminism and LGBT rights as well.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Last year, the actor was named Twitter's smartest celebrity by TIME, and for good reason: DiCaprio is always tweeting about important efforts to save animals and the environment.
Kristen Bell
Your favorite Frozen actress is also a huge activist. She can be seen tweeting about a number of causes like water conservation, the importance of vaccinations, animal rights, and more.
Pamela Anderson
She's such a huge animal rights supporter that her Twitter photo is a "no fur" icon. She tweets often about everything from being a vegetation to the importance of conserving the ocean.
Stephen Fry
The actor recently petitioned the British government to officially pardon all the people they prosecuted under the now-defunct anti-gay laws. But he's also a big activist online: He can be seen posting about everything from mental health to stopping the violence against women.
Ian Somerhalder
The Vampire Diaries star is another huge animal rights supporter and can often be found tweeting about where to adopt animals and the cruelty of zoos. He even started the Ian Somerhalder Foundation to raise awareness for caring for the planet and all its inhabitants. Now that's celebrity status done right.
