{"id":396,"date":"2019-04-29T07:56:17","date_gmt":"2019-04-28T23:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/?p=396"},"modified":"2019-05-02T21:05:25","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T13:05:25","slug":"hashtag-activism-connection-conversation-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/2019\/04\/29\/hashtag-activism-connection-conversation-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Hashtag Activism: Connection, Conversation, Community."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ABSTRACT<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paper delves into the power of \u2018hashtag\nactivism\u2019, in enhancing the global awareness and accessible conversation\ngenerated by online social activist campaigns. Often disregarded as \u201cslacktivism\u201d,\nin which a lot of energy is put into drawing attention to a cause but the\nsignificant impact made is dismal, this paper aims reveal how hashtag activism\nhas successfully inspired and empowered positive changes both on and offline\nthrough the exploration of examples such as #MeToo, #TimesUp and\n#BlackLivesMatter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The use of hashtags to promote\nsocial movements on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram has strengthened\nthe power of online activism through rapid generations of global awareness\nand accessible conversation. Originally intended to be used purely as a form of\nfolksonomy that aided searches for conversations of interest on social\nnetworking sites, hashtags have cemented themselves over the past decade as one\nof the most essential tools in online communications (Salazar, 2017). In recent\nyears, hashtags have facilitated a huge increase in online social campaigning by\nenabling an international exchange of news, information and awareness regarding\ntopical examples of social injustices (Xiong, Cho & Boatwright, 2019)\nthrough what is now referred to as \u2018hashtag activism\u2019. So, what exactly is\nhashtag activism? Tombleson and Wolf (2017) describe it as \u201cthe act of fighting\nfor or supporting a cause with the use of hashtags as primary channel to raise\nawareness of an issue and encourage debate via social media\u201d. Building upon\nthis, the use of hashtags as a tool for social activism aims to break down\ngeographical barriers (Xiong, Cho & Boatwright, 2019) and connect people\nwith similar passions, situations or hardships (Olsen, 2016), often in relation\nto the rights and wellbeing of different genders, sexualities, races and religions.\nIn doing this, hashtag activism heightens the achievable strength and success\nof online social campaigns by ensuring accessibility and awareness on a global\nscale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most prominent examples of hashtag\nactivism in recent times, \u2018#MeToo\u2019 acts as a clear illustration of the ways in\nwhich Web 2.0 technologies such as hashtags create a participatory culture (Tombleson\n& Wolf, 2017) that strengthens activist campaigns\u2019 ability to form vast\nnetworks of support by initiating a global conversation (Olsen, 2016). The\noriginal \u2018Me Too\u2019 movement was founded in 2006 by Tarana Burke to \u201chelp\nsurvivors of sexual violence find pathways to healing\u201d (Me Too Movement, n.d). Taking\na jump forward to 2017, the campaign was then catapulted into the public sphere\nby actress Alyssa Milano (2017) when she tweeted \u201cIf you\u2019ve ever been sexually\nharassed or assaulted write \u2018me too\u2019 as a reply to this tweet\u201d in an attempt to\ngive magnitude to sexual violence and harassment as a global issue. Milano\u2019s\ncall out gained millions of online shares and responses from a diverse range of\nsurvivors, including many large name celebrities, as well as supporters\ncommending the survivors on their bravery for sharing. The overwhelming\nresponse to this tweet across a variety of platforms, and the global spotlight\nit received as a result, reveals the undeniable power of the hashtag\u2019s ability\nto encourage users to actively contribute and communicate rather than passively\nconsume (Clark, 2015). The spurred #WhyWeWearBlack movement, a hashtag used to\npromote celebrities wearing all black to the 75th<\/sup> Annual Golden\nGlobes in protest of sexual harassment, is a clear example of how a hashtag campaign\nlike #MeToo can inspire new relationships and even stimulate impactful offline\naction. As an illustration of how hashtags can be used across a range of social\nnetworking sites as a tool for connecting and empowering a group of otherwise\nunconnected people, #MeToo reveals that the significance of Web 2.0\ntechnologies lies within the participatory culture they enable (Tombleson &\nWolf, 2017). According to Rodino-Colocino (2018) the purpose of the #MeToo\nmovement was, and is, to inspire empowerment through empathy. The #MeToo\nhashtag achieves this through its creation of a safe space that promotes\nlistening and self-reflexivity (Rodino-Colocino, 2018) by not only encouraging\npeople to share their experiences and opinions with their friends for support\nbut also allowing them to contribute as part of a global conversation that is\nfocused on making positive change. Though the #MeToo movement gained its\ninitial online traction through posts by high profile individuals, such as the\npreviously noted tweet by Alyssa Milano (2017), its global success and rapid\nfire spread into the mainstream conversation is considered an example of what\nHill (2013) refers to as \u2018networked horizontalism\u2019. This term refers to the\nworking patterns of non-hierarchical online movements that bring individuals\nand groups together without any organised leadership or hierarchal authority\n(Hill, 2013). Milano may have lit the initial sparks for #MeToo, however she\ndid not take it upon herself to ensure the hashtag was picked up globally. This\noccurred organically through the public nature of hashtags in combination with\nthe participatory culture of social networking, exemplifying the power they\nhold together for online social activist campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use of the #TimesUp hashtag, as well as\nthe supporting #WhyWeWearBlack hashtag, across Twitter and Instagram\nsurrounding the 2018 Golden Globes exemplifies the ability a hashtag campaign\nholds to further extend its overall accessibility and visibility by capturing\nthe attention of wider, offline public and mainstream media. While #MeToo exposed\nan issue and inspired a conversation, #TimesUp was created to move the\nconversation from \u2018me\u2019 to \u2018we\u2019, in a natural progression towards broader, more\nactive change (Garber, 2018).  Shortly\nafter celebrities took to the 75th<\/sup> Annual Golden Globes red carpet\ndressed in all black to protest sexual harassment and industry power imbalances\nthat lead to abuse and\/or discrimination (Gonzales, 2018), mainstream media\noutlets that would usually be have producing \u2018hot or not\u2019 content or\nscrutinising style choices were instead inclined to report on the circulating\n#TimesUp movement. This shift in the media\u2019s attention reveals the influence of\nsocial media\u2019s participatory culture, showing that a large influx of tagging\nand (re)tweeting around a specific issue can apply pressure on the media to address\nit. This kind of mainstream media broadcast then launches hashtag campaigns even\nfurther into the public eye and gains them even more exposure, further\nexpanding the range of people able to be involved in contributing to the\nconversation (Moscato, 2016). Moscato (2016) argues that Twitter is a medium\nfor \u2018virality\u2019 and can be considered one of social activism\u2019s major keys to\nobtaining \u201cleverage for wider distribution\u201d online. Furthermore, Moscato\u2019s (2016)\nstudies have also found that the use of social media to promote campaigns allows\nactivists and other participants to \u201cdisseminate self-representations that are\nnot subjected to mass media filters\u201d. This works to instil a maintained sense\nof integrity that is both important to the success of a campaign and also not guaranteed\nwith more traditional forms of media. The way in which Twitter provides its\nusers with the tools to publicly and organically cluster, share or reply to each\nother\u2019s messages not only allows for the easy contribution and categorisation\nof information but also encourages real time participation in dialogue\n(Moscato, 2016).  This can empower a campaign\nin a number of ways including allowing activists at events to live-stream first\nhand perspectives and experiences for those following along at home unable to\nattend and amplifying important, relevant information well beyond the original\nauthor\u2019s personal following (Moscato, 2016). This was certainly the case for\n#TimesUp, which exploded online following both the social and traditional media\ncoverage of the Golden Globes event (Garber, 2018) and as a result managed to\nraise over $24 million for women\u2019s legal rights and defence (GoFundMe, n.d.). Now\nan essential part of online social campaigning, hashtags provide a platform for\ndynamic communities to make themselves visible and accessible to both the\ngeneral public and the mainstream media. Without this curation of accessible\ncontent on platforms such as Twitter via the hashtag function, active global\nresponses such as that obtained by #TimesUp would be much more difficult to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The #BlackLivesMatter (#BLM) movement\nremains an ongoing example of the ways in which a hashtag campaign can generate\nnot only awareness and community, but real world action. Founded in 2012 by Opal\nTometi, Patrisse Cullors, and Alicia Garza in response to the clearance of\nGeorge Zimmerman for the murder of teenager Trayvon Martin, the movement in its\noriginal form aimed to draw focus on \u201cpolice brutality, police killings, and\nthe overrepresentation of black people in the criminal justice system\u201d in the\nUnited States (Duvall & Heckemeyer, 2018). Since its initial establishment,\nthe phrase has been somewhat decentralised and the hashtag is now used across a\nwide variety of contexts and countries in consideration of many different sociological,\nethical and racial issues surrounding people of colour (Ince, Rojas &\nDavis, 2017). Like #MeToo, the #BLM hashtag has not only ignited a global\nconversation, but also sustained a community of like-minded individuals and\ncreated a platform for their relevant ideas and opinions to be shared. Stepping\nbeyond this, it has even mobilised them to make offline connection and actions\nin an attempt to further the fight for real world change (Ince, Rojas & Davis,\n2017). Gunn (2015) states that one of the main criticisms of hashtag activism\nas a method of social campaigning is that it is a form of \u201cslacktivism\u201d.\nSlacktivism refers to cases in which a lot of energy is put into drawing\nattention to a cause but the significant impact made is dismal. This certainly\nis not the case for movements such as #BLM with the hashtag being used\nregularly across Twitter and other social networking sites to facilitate and\npromote relevant offline events, such as rallies, protests, workshops, meetings\nand demonstrations in cities all over the world (Cumberbatch &\nTrujillo-Pagan, 2016). An example of this is the groups of social activists who\nmet with and placed pressure upon politicians to support the #BLM agenda in the\nlead up to the 2016 US election (Duvall & Heckemeyer, 2018). That being\nsaid, for other members within the #BLM community, Gunn (2015) writes that \u201cit\nis not even intended in all cases to raise awareness of any particular issue or\nsocietal concern, but rather to do the work of raising one\u2019s own consciousness,\nand to be in dialogue with other people of colour engaged in similar pursuits\u201d,\nshowing that hashtag activism can, even in its \u201cslackest\u201d form, promote a\nhealthy sense of community and belonging or understanding for marginalised\nsocial groups. This developed and dynamic support system is an example of how\nthe use of hashtags within online campaigns can harness accessibility to\nachieve both awareness and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to communicating and\nconnecting on a global scale, hashtags are perhaps the most integral part of\nall Web 2.0 technological advancements. Now considered \u201ca tool for building\ncollective identities that serve as the foundations for action\u201d (Clark, 2016),\nhashtags have almost entirely changed the way in which successful social activist\ncampaigns function, reducing both the effort and cost involved in launching a campaign\nby decentralising leadership and reducing overall participation costs (Clark,\n2016). This is made possible by social media platforms such as Twitter\n(Moscato, 2016) which encourage users to both generate content and interact\nwith the content created by others. This participatory culture lays a solid\nfoundation upon which meaningful strong activist campaigns can be established,\ndeveloped and maintained. In creating a safe space for individuals to share and\nconnect, platforms such as Twitter allow hashtag activists to engage with\nlike-minded or similarly situated people that they may not in any other case\nhave been put into contact with (Olsen, 2016). This new form of globalised\ncommunication is important for the future of online activism in that it not\nonly extends the barriers of available awareness, but also encourages responses\nand opinions from a diverse range of global contexts (Xiong, Cho &\nBoatwright, 2019) in order to produce and promote a well-rounded campaign. Building\nupon this, hashtag activism works to inspire real world changes by encouraging its\nwide spread audiences to become proactive about developing or participating in\nrallies, meetings, classes and events (Cumberbatch & Trujillo-Pagan, 2016)\nthat make sense for them and the other activists in their own areas. The nature\nof platforms such as Twitter then also allow for those unable to attend such\nevents to not only help promote the event to ensure its success, but also keep\nup to date with live information as if they were there (Moscato, 2016). The power\nof hashtag activism to strengthen an online campaign\u2019s global awareness and\naccessibility has become increasingly evident througho online campaigns that\nhave used it successfully, such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #WhyWeWearBlack and\n#BlackLivesMatter. Breaking down geographical barriers and connecting people (Xiong,\nCho & Boatwright, 2019) of all genders, sexualities, races and religions\nagainst a common cause (Olsen, 2016), hashtags have immensely empowered the\nfuture of social activist campaigns online.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clark, R. (2015). \u201cHope in a\nhashtag\u201d: the discursive activism of #WhyIStayed. Feminist Media Studies, 16<\/em>(5), 788-804. DOI:\n10.1080\/14680777.2016.1138235<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cumberbatch, P., & Trujillo-Pag\u00e1n, N. (2016). Hashtag activism and\nwhy #BlackLivesMatter in (and to) the classroom. Radical Teacher, 106<\/em>, 78-86. DOI 10.5195\/rt.2016.302<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duvall, S. & Heckemeyer, N. (2018). #BlackLivesMatter: black\ncelebrity hashtag activism and the discursive formation of a social movement. Celebrity Studies, 9<\/em>(3), 391-408. DOI:\n10.1080\/19392397.2018.1440247<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Garber, M. (2018, Janurary 2). Is This the Next Step for the #MeToo\nmovement? The Atlantic<\/em>. Retrieved\nfrom https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/entertainment\/archive\/2018\/01\/beyond-metoo-can-times-up-effect-real-change\/549482\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gonzales, E. (2018, January 7). Women Open Up About Wearing Black on the\nGolden Globes Red Carpet. Harper\u2019s Bazaar<\/em>.\nRetrieved from https:\/\/www.harpersbazaar.com\/celebrity\/red-carpet-dresses\/a14773793\/celebrities-wearing-black-golden-globes-quotes-2018\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GoFundMe. (n.d.). TIME\u2019S UP Legal Defence Fund. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/timesup<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gunn, C. (2015). Hashtagging from the Margins. In Tassie, K. E., &\nGivens, S. M. B. (Eds.), Women of color and social\nmedia multitasking : Blogs, timelines, feeds, and community<\/em>. London:\nLexington Books<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hill, S. (2013). Digital\nRevolutions: Activism in the Internet Age<\/em>. Oxford: New Internationalist\nPublications Ltd<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ince, J., Rojas, F., &\nDavis, C. A. (2017). The social media response to Black Lives Matter: how\nTwitter users interact with Black Lives Matter through hashtag use. Ethics and Racial Studies, 40<\/em>(11), DOI: 10.1080\/01419870.2017.1334931<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Me Too Movement. (n.d.).\nAbout: History & Vision. Retrieved from https:\/\/metoomvmt.org\/about\/#history<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Milano, A. (October 15,\n2017). If you\u2019ve ever been sexually harassed or assaulted write \u2018me too\u2019 as a\nreply to this tweet [Tweet]. Retrieved from https:\/\/twitter.com\/alyssa_milano\/status\/919659438700670976?lang=en<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moscato, D. (2016). Media Portrayals\nof Hashtag Activism: A Framing Analysis of Canada\u2019s #Idlenomore Movement. Media and Communications, 4<\/em>(2), 3-12.\nRetrieved from https:\/\/www.cogitatiopress.com\/mediaandcommunication\/article\/view\/416\/416<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Xiong, Y., Cho, M., & Boatwright, B. (2019). Hashtag activism and message frames among social movement organizations: Semantic network analysis and thematic analysis of Twitter during the #MeToo movement. Public Relations Review, 45<\/em>(1), 10-23. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.pubrev.2018.10.014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ABSTRACT This paper delves into the power of \u2018hashtag activism\u2019, in enhancing the global awareness and accessible conversation generated by online social activist campaigns. Often disregarded as \u201cslacktivism\u201d, in which a lot of energy is put into drawing attention to a cause but the significant impact made is dismal, this paper aims reveal how hashtag… Continue reading Hashtag Activism: Connection, Conversation, Community.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[190,186,189,188,187,191],"class_list":["post-396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-communities","tag-blacklivesmatter","tag-hashtagactivism","tag-metoo","tag-onlinecampaign","tag-socialactivism","tag-timesup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=396"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":397,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396\/revisions\/397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/networkconference.netstudies.org\/2019Open\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}