Claire Boys
ABSTRACT
This conference paper will focus on the stream of social networks, specifically concentrating on Twitter and its significance in developing online communities and social movements. It will analyse how Twitter implements the use of the hashtag function within its website to organise, coordinate and manage tweets online. This tool is especially helpful in promoting certain movements, which can translate from online to real life events and actions. Looking specifically at recent events and social movements such as: ‘#BlackLivesMatter,’ ‘#MeToo,’ and ‘#MarchForOurLives,’ and examining just how Twitter has aided the promotion of these movements by being a platform for these movements to be discussed publically. Focusing on these recent events, this paper will highlight just how effective Twitter’s hashtag function is as a tool for developing online communities and social movements.
KEY WORDS
Twitter; hashtags; communities; movements; conversation
INTRODUCTION
Since its launch in 2006, Twitter has become a popular platform for cultural conversation and discussion. It has changed the way in which we communicate to individuals online, whereby posts are succinct, quick updates. Twitters defining characteristic is its 280 characters per tweet limit, (Wagner, 2017), which means its users must utilise these characters in the best way they can. This character limit of 280 was originally even less, at 140 characters per tweet. In 2017, Twitter then announced they were increasing the characters to 280, saying that the limit caused users to: “…remove a word that conveys an important meaning or emotion.” (Wagner, 2017). This shows just how Twitter understands what a social and significant platform it has become in recent years.
Its popularity is likely due to the public nature and accessibility to all of its users, (Brock, 2012). At the end of 2017, Twitter had an average of 330 million monthly active users, (Statista, 2017) which demonstrates its level of influence and engagement. We can especially see this engagement from users culminated in Twitters hashtag function. Hashtags are used as a way to summarize topics and aid in categorizing posts in topic format. This function allows all of its users to search and join these discussions online. Given that Twitters domain is so public, if its users choose to, they can engage with users from anywhere in the world. Also with Twitters ‘trending’ page, it allows users to easily see the most popularly talked about events of the day. This really allows for major emotive discussions and movements to take place on Twitter.
We see these social movements and online communities developing more and more often. This paper will focus on three particular movements that have sparked major conversation online and in actuality. Drawing on the recent social movements of ‘#BlackLivesMatter’, ‘#MeToo’ and ‘#MarchForOurLives’, we can see just how significant Twitter, as a social communicator has been at developing these online communities and social movements.
#BLACK LIVES MATTER
This social movement is essentially a call to action. It is a continuous protest and challenge to the justice system, (Edwards, 2016). The formation of this movement was due to the case of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of all charges after murdering 17-year-old African American high school student, Trayvon Martin, (Edwards, 2016). Zimmerman was acquitted on the grounds of self-defence. Martin’s death sparked massive uproar as well as debate about racial profiling and self defence laws in the United States.
Following Martin’s death in 2013, the movement was born and #BlackLivesMatter began circulating on social media. Alicia Garza, who after Martin’s death posted on her Facebook a ‘Love Note to Black People,’ which urged people to come together and ensure that ‘Black Lives Matter.’ Her friend and community organiser, Patrisse Cullors, commented on this post and added the hash tag in front of the phrase. After that, #BlackLivesMatter was born, (Gyunn, 2015). While it may have been created on Facebook, it was Twitter where this phrase really began to surge.
This upsurge was centred around the crucial issue of police misconduct and the racial and social inequity that people of colour face, (Rickford, 2015). The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag from then on became a shorthand device for organising efforts across the United States. As of September 2016, the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” was tweeted over 30 million times, (Wortham, 2016). Using this hashtag helped activists from across the country communicate and broaden their movement to a wider online community. This allowed users and participants of Twitter to, ‘stand in solidarity amongst other participants,’ (Wortham, 2016).
These conversations between activists online are out in the open where anyone can read them. This kind of conversation is a form of social change and one that may not have been as influential without the power of social media. This movement poses a strong protest to the political and social arrangements within our society and with the help of this hashtag has sparked a revolutionary movement, (Rickford, 2015).
#ME TOO
The #Me Too hashtag is a tool to promote an international movement against sexual harassment and assault. It originally started as a word of mouth conversation created by activist Tarana Burke over a decade ago, which aimed to create solidarity among survivors of sexual harassment, (Frye, 2018). But in 2017, #MeToo virally spread online in October after actress and activist, Alysaa Milano, encouraged women to share their experiences with sexual harassment as a response through Twitter. On October 16, within the first 24 hours, the #MeToo was used on Twitter more than 500,000 times, (Smartt, 2017).
This conversation also prompted responses from many high-profile celebrities including: Jennifer Lawrence, Uma Thurman and Gwyneth Paltrow, (Vogue, 2017). The hashtag was promoted to highlight the magnitude of the problem in today’s society. Not only did the hashtag prompt responses of reporting’s of misconduct in the entertainment industry, but also from survivors across the world, with the hashtag trending in at least 85 countries, (Strum, 2017).
Social media networks including Twitter and Facebook became a place for women and some men across the world to share their experiences and aim to de-stigmatize speaking out against this harassment, (Eyerys, 2017). It became a way for many people to raise their hands and speak up about this harassment online. This formed an online community of woman and men who found solidarity and comfort amongst others who shared similar experiences.
In the age of social media, we can see just how effective it is when it comes to social change and movements. This concept of #MeToo was developed over a decade ago, but only last year did the concept reach the large scale it is at now. Tanara Burke created this concept to make a safe space for survivors. It still is that now, only in an online community with a much larger engagement. The number of times the hashtag was used in just 24 hours is mammoth, and brings to light something that evidently many women hadn’t felt able to speak out about before. The immediate and overwhelming response Milano received shows just how powerful social media is at connecting individuals online and creating a sense of community.
#MARCH FOR OUR LIVES / #NATIONALSCHOOLWALKOUT
The #MarchForOurLives movement is a student-led organisation that aims to promote stricter gun control laws within the United States. Founded in February of this year, after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, took the lives of 17 students, (May, 2018). Survivors of this school shooting rallied together to form an organisation that promotes stricter background checks, legislation, and raising the federal age of gun possession and ownership to 21 years of age, (Jones, 2018).
Members of the organisation promoted that on March 24th 2018, there would be a demonstration rally for gun control in Washington D.C., along with over 800 smaller rallies across the world in support of the organisation. It is estimated that over 2 million people took part in this protest, making it one of the biggest protests ever in the United States, (Lopez, 2018). The event had a range of high school speakers and all students of the school where the shooting took place. One of these speakers included student Emma González, whose speech was considered one of the most memorable by The Washington Post, (Epstein & Amenabar, 2018). As of date González has over 1.5 million followers on Twitter, using the platform to share messages of solidarity and promote gun control.
The ‘March for Our Lives’ official Twitter account as of date has just fewer than 400,000 followers showing an incredible amount of influence. On this platform they have coined the hashtag #MarchForOurLives and continued to promote this after their incredibly successful rally in March. Social media is a vitally important platform for promoting this movement and developing a community online. With the spread of information so effortless, people were able to share their support from across the world. Social media is a way for disparate groups to come together and expand the issues that young people are passionate about.
Not only have students taken part in this cause, but also participated in ‘National Walk Outs,’ to further push the demand for gun legislation in America. These student led #NationalSchoolWalkOuts most recent protest was on April 20th, on the anniversary of the Columbine massacre in 1999, (National School Walkout, 2018). The organisation encourages students to walkout during school hours as a sign of protest against congressional, state and local members to prevent gun violence, (National School Walkout, 2018). This organisation also has incredible active social medias, with the official National School Walkout having over 130,000 followers on Twitter.
Many activists of these organisations plan to continue growing their movement, persuading people and many students to register to vote and attend public forums of debate, (Lopez, 2018). These student run organisations are an incredible showcase of young people creating their own media. Not only have they been able to promote these organisations through the power of social media, but retain an extremely commendable response from so many people around the world. It is an incredibly useful tool to unite people and bring people together who share the same views. It’s an opportunity for people to stand up for what they believe in, and promote their beliefs. Both #MarchForOurLives and #NationalSchoolWalkOut show the power social media and how young people are utilising it to make a community online and push for change.
CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
The power and reach of social media is undeniable. It has become a space for people to connect and communicate with individuals from anywhere in the world. Specifically through Twitter, which gives users the opportunity to publicly discuss, engage and promote issues and events within their platform. Twitter’s hashtag function allows users to easily engage in conversation and search current events. Their trending page also allows people to see what is the most popular and tweeted about topics of the day, further promoting the subjects as discussed above.
The social movements of ‘#BlackLivesMatter,’ ‘#MeToo,’ and ‘#MarchForOurLives, have all come to fruition in the age of social media. Without social media to promote these causes, it is hard to say whether they would reach the levels they have today. With millions of individuals engaging in these movements online, it has created an online community of people promoting change for the better.
Activists promoting issues of social change such as racial discrimination, sexual harassment and gun control so publically, allows for people to be easily exposed to these communities. Discussing these issues through Twitter and promoting them via hashtags means for effortless promotion and campaigning of these social issues. As seen through the engagement of these social issues online, Twitter has created a space that allows for the creation of online communities and the promotion of social movements.
It is likely that Twitter’s social effects will only continue to grow as society does. With the nature of Twitters interactive platform and its limitless, international reach, it is evident that it a social podium for change. It is in this regard that Twitters hashtag function provides as a tool for developing online communities and social movements.
WORKS CITED
Brock, A. (2012). From the Blackhand Side: Twitter as a Cultural Conversation. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media , 56 (4), 529-549.
Edwards, S. B. (2016). Black Lives Matter. Abdo Publishing.
Epstein, K., & Amenabar, T. (2018, March 24). The 6 most memorable speeches at the March for Our Lives in D.C. Retrieved May 3, 2018 from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2018/03/24/the-6-most-memorable-speeches-at-the-march-for-our-lives-in-d-c/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.2c3ac59e1cab
Eyerys. (2017, October 15). The #MeToo Movement On Social Media. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from Eyerys: https://www.eyerys.com/articles/timeline/metoo-movement-social-media#event-a-href-articles-timeline-facebook-and-billion-userfacebook-and-a-billion-user-a
Frye, J. (2018, Janurary 31). From Politics to Policy: Turning the Corner on Sexual Harassment. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from Center For American Progress : https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2018/01/31/445669/politics-policy-turning-corner-sexual-harassment/
Gyunn, J. (2015, March 4). Meet the woman who coined #BlackLivesMatter. Retrieved April 30, 2018 from USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/03/04/alicia-garza-black-lives-matter/24341593/
Jones, S. (2018, February 28). Student Gun-Control Activist David Hogg Slams Republicans As ‘Cowards’. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from CNS News: https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/activist-david-hogg-slams-republicans-cowards-stupid-sharks-want-sell-more
Lopez, G. (2018, March 26). It’s official: March for Our Lives was one of the biggest youth protests since the Vietnam War. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from Vox: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/26/17160646/march-for-our-lives-crowd-size-count
May, C. (2018, February 18). Florida student survivors announce “March For Our Lives”: Here’s a time to talk about gun control. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from Salon: https://www.salon.com/2018/02/18/florida-student-survivors-announce-march-for-our-lives-heres-a-time-to-talk-about-gun-control/
National School Walkout. (2018). Our Mission. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from National School Walkout: https://www.nationalschoolwalkout.net/
Rickford, R. (2015, December 8). Black Lives Matter: Toward a Modern Practice of Mass Struggle. Retrieved April 29, 2018 from New Labor Forum: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1095796015620171
Smartt, N. (2017, December 20). Sexual Harassment In The Workplace In A #MeToo World. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2017/12/20/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-in-a-metoo-world/#15c545185a42
Statista. (2017). Number of monthly active Twitter users worldwide from 1st quarter 2010 to 4th quarter 2017 (in millions). Retrieved April 29, 2018 from Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/282087/number-of-monthly-active-twitter-users/
Strum, L. (2017, October 25). Twitter chat: What #MeToo says about sexual abuse in society. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from PBS: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/twitter-chat-what-metoo-says-about-sexual-abuse-in-society
Twitter. (2018). Twitter Logo.
Vogue. (2017, October 16). Celebrities Share Stories of Sexual Assault for #MeToo Campaign. Retrieved May 2, 2018 from Vogue: https://www.vogue.com/article/alyssa-milano-metoo-sexual-assault-campaign
Wagner, K. (2017, September 26). Twitter is testing a big change: Doubling the length of tweets from 140 to 280 characters. Retrieved April 29, 2018 from Recode: https://www.recode.net/2017/9/26/16364002/twitter-longer-tweets-character-limit-140-280
Wortham, J. (2016, September). Black Tweets Matter: How the How the tumultuous, hilarious, wide-ranging chat party on Twitter changed the face of activism in America . Retrieved April 30, 2017 from Smithsonian Magazine : https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/black-tweets-matter-180960117/