PDF: ConferencePaperPDF
Abstract:
Social media platforms are valuable tools in activism today, as they allow activists and ordinary users to advocate for social change in a public forum, which I build from using Freelon et al. (2020)’s article “False Equivalencies” in the American Association for the Advancement of Science Journal. I argue that the benefit of these public forums is that they allow information to be spread easily through ‘hashtag activism.’ When social media platform users take part in ‘hashtag activism,’ it encourages certain hashtags to trend throughout these platforms and can create a lot of hype towards an issue, thus leading to organised offline activism as well. This paper dives into examples of the ‘#MeToo’ and ‘BlackLivesMatter’ movements and I argue that social media has amplified their protests in a push for social change. With ‘hashtag activism’ used predominantly to push for social change after being raised from social issues, comes the silver lining of communities that form in solidarity and unity on social issues. The paper also discusses how highly influential people that use these platforms, and my position is that it positively impacts activism today as they have the audience to educate and raise awareness to on issues that require social or political change. The paper discusses how social media platforms have positively impacted activism through the tools that they offer to their users.
“One of digital media’s most important contributions to activism is how they have opened new pathways to reach target audiences” (Freelon et al., 2020, p. 2).
Since the rise of the Web 2.0, activism has utilised online platforms in the spreading of information through hashtags, the ability to build online networks of like-minded users and using influential people to raise awareness in social change. This paper will cover two main case studies to emphasise how social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter positively impact activism today. The first case study is the ‘#MeToo’ movement, which is a hashtag campaign that spread globally online in encouraging victims of sexual assault to speak up (Rodino-Colocino, 2018, as cited by Bludau, 2021). The next case study is the ‘#BlackLivesMatter’ movement which went viral on social media in 2020, to take a stand against racial injustices in America (Borda & Marshall, 2020 as cited by Bludau, 2021). I argue that social networks such as Instagram and Twitter have positively impacted activism today through the ability to spread information globally with ‘hashtag activism,’ through the formation of communities to show support of one another and the ability to garner attention from influential people to encourage social change.
My position is that digital media has positively impacted activism in online and offline scenarios through the mass sharing abilities and ‘clicktivism’ that platforms such as Instagram and Twitter offer (Freelon et al., 2020). ‘Liking, ‘sharing,’ or ‘commenting’ on an activism influenced post is referred to as ‘clicktivism’ (Freelon et al., 2020). This low impact engagement from social media users can dramatically publicize and bring attention to important protest movements due to algorithms that the platform creates (Freelon et al., 2020). This grabs the attention of journalists to share in offline media and can transform a protest movement to one of international importance (Freelon et al., 2020). Hashtags are widespread by users who want to declare support, causing them to trend. These simple methods of using a hashtag or liking an image can have a substantial impact on the virality it receives due to many other users also contributing (Freelon et al., 2020). An example of this is through hashtag activism, where using a hashtag on social media helps to advocate, spread information, and create solidarity among all involved (Bludau, 2021). The hash symbol followed by a popular phrase allows users to easily view content relative to the topic (Ince et al., 2017, as cited by Bludau, 2021). When searching popular hashtags on Twitter or Instagram, it generates a whole feed of posts relating to it (Bludau, 2021). This feed consists of informative posts, users’ thoughts, and ways to help make changes, and proves an effective way of raising awareness in the media on important issues. In 2006, the ‘#MeToo’ movement was created by Tarana Burke, to empower victims of sexual assault through empathy (Rodino-Colocino, 2018, as cited by Bludau 2021). In 2017, news that Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein had sexually harassed several women had circulated, causing multiple women to speak out publicly online with the hashtag ‘#MeToo.’ This movement encouraged a lot of people who were silenced to come forward and encouraged reforms to address the concerns of sexual harassment throughout America (North, 2019, as cited by Bludau, 2021). Actress Alyssa Milano shared a tweet suggesting that if all the women who had experienced sexual assault had used the ‘#MeToo’ hashtag on platforms such as Twitter or Instagram, then society would be able to understand the magnitude of the problem with women being sexually assaulted (Bludau, 2021). Following the actress’ Tweet, the hashtag soon went viral across multiple online platforms, specifically Twitter. Women across the world were empathising with one another through the addition of the ‘#MeToo’ hashtag on their posts about their sexual assault (Bludau, 2021). North (2019) points out that after the movement had gained attention, that several US states had passed laws prohibiting the use of nondisclosure agreements in sexual misconduct cases. California banned agreements in sexual assault, harassment or discrimination cases with New York and New Jersey following in 2018 (North, 2019). This example shows that the ‘#MeToo’ movement had a positive impact on creating an online space for people to support one another as well as creating a push for change of sexual misconduct laws in America.
The next case study encourages a similar community but for those who want to end police brutality and stand against racial injustices (Borda & Marshall, 2020, as cited by Bludau, 2021). The ‘#BlackLivesMatter’ hashtag had a much stronger impact on Instagram, which advocates the end of police brutality and standing up against racial injustices (Borda & Marshall, 2020 as cited by Bludau, 2021). Instagram became a feed full of black squares, with 28 million users posting Blackout Tuesday content using the trending hashtag ‘#BlackOutTuesday’ on the 2nd June in 2020, to show their support for the ‘BLM’ with major companies, influencers and celebrities taking part (Ho, 2020 as cited by Bludau, 2021). The black squares were to represent a ‘disrupt’ to regular content to acknowledge the longstanding racial injustice towards black people, particularly across America (Bludau, 2021). This occurred shortly after George Floyd, a black man, was murdered because of police brutality in America, which caused an uproar on social media (Dixon & Dundes, 2020). Hashtags enable the connection of other movements and sharing of information (Bludau, 2021). The ‘BlackLivesMatter’ Movement has shown that activists have used social media as a form of resistance, but also as an online community where they can voice their opinions on the lack of representation on racial injustices in the media (Bludau, 2021). ‘#BlackLivesMatter’ hashtag users became part of an online community through supporting each other via clicktivism, through sharing of information to do with donating to BLM affiliate organisations to support bail funds for protesters as well as promoting offline rallies and protests to push for government changes.
These case studies both reflect my argument that hashtag activism occurring on social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, have positively impacted the ability for users to speak up, connect with one another and raise awareness on important topics that may have been silenced in the past. It has also allowed users to be well informed of offline protests, rallies and foundations that are in support of these issues. This is achieved through the tools that platforms such as Twitter and Instagram offer, such as the trending of hashtags to share information and through ‘clicktivism’ to show support as an individual user. As you can see, social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, show to be successful networks in online advocacy and in encouraging people to speak up.
The rise of social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, have opened new forms of activism through the ability to educate users, to form supportive communities and by expanding the audience reached in comparison to offline (Freelon et al., 2020). My position is that these platforms have positively impacted online activism in the way it has created multiple informed communities of users with similar concerns, thoughts, and experiences. Social media activism has created communities of users with similar opinions, stories and encourages users to support one another (Bludau, 2021). For example, the ‘#MeToo’ Movement and hashtag that circulated online networks encouraged victims of sexual assault to speak up (Rodino-Colocino, 2018, as cited by Bludau, 2021). On Instagram, the official ‘Me Too Movement’ account has gained 89 thousand followers with their company description stating they began from a viral hashtag to a global organisation in a bid to eradicate sexual violence through shifting culture and policies (Instagram, 2022). Following their website link, they have multiple organisations in action for users to connect with one another with groups such as ‘Freefrom’ which is a two-day gathering of sexual assault survivors to come together to encourage support to one another, promote future safety and financial security (Freefrom, 2022). This movement not only raised an important issue within the media, but also created a global community of victims of sexual assault who could share their stories and feel less isolated in their experience. My argument is that due to online activism such as this movement, it suggests that the allowance of platforms such as Twitter or Instagram, enables users to join online communities through Twitter threads, Twitter or Instagram accounts and joining offline communities that have initially began online. This enables them to feel less alone in their experiences and creates a silver lining to their experience. The silver lining being the courage they have developed in sharing their stories with other victims or even speaking up publicly about their experiences to raise awareness.
The ‘#BlackLivesMatter’ movement had a similar effect in the formation of online communities, with the online activism resulting in multiple protests all over America (Bludau, 2021). This has led to numerous support groups, foundations and online spaces for people suffering this oppression to communicate with each other. These platforms are effective in forming communities and showing support of one another. Images and videos of multiple killings of unarmed black victims by law enforcement in America circulated globally online, with platforms such as Instagram and Twitter being flooded with calls to action, offline protests, rallies and provided users with ways that they can help stop racial injustice (Bludau, 2021). This movement created a global community of people to stand in unity and to act in their own communities on racism. This case study suggests that Instagram and Twitter have positively impacted activism by reaching users globally with hashtags and forming communities in support to encourage change in society, particularly in America. Twitter and Instagram have official profiles named ‘BlackLivesMatter’ with over 5 million followers collectively (BlackLivesMatter, 2022). The consistent discussions that occur on every post, and petitions in call for change that are shared consistently, all indicates the impact these platforms have had in building a community of like-minded users. These movements support my argument in that digital media has positively improved activism by the ability to spread information globally to reach target audiences, in comparison to an offline position, where protestors would need to grab traditional media’s attention to spread awareness (Freelon et al., 2020). This form of traditional activism can be quite an urgent process, as activists want immediate change by engaging in radical activities to gain the right attention from mainstream news studios but can backfire due to its misinterpretation from these outlets (Maddison & Scalmer, 2005). This suggests that online activism is a favourable form of activism as users can share things individually with the right intentions, unfiltered by a news outlet and can connect with other activists.
According to Hong and Nadler (2015), social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram are powerful tools for activists because they ‘act as an equaliser,’ and can encourage a push for socio-political change (Freelon et al., 2020). What Hong and Nadler mean by this is that it is an equal playing field for all types of activists. For example, less well funded politicians are able to utilise the free broadcast tools that Twitter and Instagram provides, they can freely share any promotional content that circulates the platform, and the algorithms the platforms provide enables users to self-select the information they want to consume, which has the potential to polarize information consumption (Hong & Nadler 2015). Digital media and the accessibility that these platforms offer, allow people from all walks of life and the less privileged to be able to gain attention from politicians, world leaders and any other influential people (Hong & Nadler, 2015). It allows users to contribute to social discussions that they may not have had the opportunity to in an offline situation and who are outside of the power mainstream within the democratic discourse (Hong & Nadler, 2015). Digital media has provided activists with unprecedented tools around the world to help realise their socio-political visions. According to Freelon (2020), online activists use two processes in advocating for a cause which will be unpacked. The first is appealing directly to platform users and placing message control mostly in their hands. The second is using these platforms to attract journalists’ attention with the idea that they will report on the movement (Freelon et al., 2020).
In a political situation, social media is a handy tool to alter the dynamics of political competition, for example since 2012, most American politicians have had a Twitter account (Hong & Nadler, 2015). Digital media allows for ‘digital democracy’ which presents a more diverse expression of media users to share their input in political scenarios (Hong & Nadler, 2015). When users share posts with hashtags, they can encourage a widespread engagement of ordinary users who relate to the message or want to show support, which causes them to ‘trend’ (Freelon et al., 2020). This ‘trending’ then triggers the attention from high class and influential people such as celebrities, businesses, politicians, mainstream news outlets and people with power (Freelon et al., 2020). This shows the power social media holds in gaining attention from people in positions of power that most people would never be able to achieve in an offline situation. Instagram and Twitter prove as powerful tools in raising issues of importance to these influential people, who may be able to have an impact on spreading information or making a change (Freelon et al., 2020). An example of a celebrity influence is Caitlyn Jenner, a very well-known transgender woman and parent to the Kardashian celebrity sisters, who has used social media platforms to perform social activism for transgender visibility and has expressed desires to become a ‘trans-ambassador’ from a political standpoint, after former president of America ‘Donald Trump’ had tried to ban transgender people from the military (Pham, 2017 as cited by Williams, 2020). Due to Jenner’s political involvement and her identification as a transgender woman, this increases her visibility and engagement with transgender politics (Williams, 2020). Jenner has created an entire community with ordinary transgender people through these social networks as a way for them to all engage and show support to one another (Williams, 2020). Caitlyn started ‘The Caitlyn Jenner Foundation” which can be found across multiple platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, to support organisations doing on the ground and impactful work to support the transgender community and improve transgender rights (Caitlyn Jenner Foundation, 2022). The foundation funds many smaller transgender communities such as the ‘Trans Chorus LA’ on Instagram, and the ‘Trans Latin @ Coalition’ with a huge community on Instagram and Twitter. Similarly, social media platforms such as Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter have indicated a connection with the transgender community and transgender celebrities as networks for them to engage and promote self-representation (Williams, 2020). Further, this would be almost impossible to achieve offline in gaining the attention from an elite celebrity. The ‘#MeToo’ movement on Twitter also garnered the attention of celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Rose McGowan and Milano, who were considered crucial in mobilising a large-scale protest and pushing for the movement (Trott, 2020).
These examples reflect my argument that the accessibility that platforms such as Instagram and Twitter offer, provides the opportunity to reach out to people with high influence who can spread awareness on an issue and potentially impact a social change to their audience and beyond.
Social media has transformed activism today with platforms such as Instagram and Twitter playing a huge role in enabling the spread of information through hashtags, the social networks that organically form from these movements and the influence that powerful digital media users can have on bringing awareness to an issue. I argue that these social media platforms have benefited activism in a push for social change, by utilising the platform’s tools in spreading awareness and information to other users. These social platforms encourage hashtag activism to push for social justices, the spread of information globally, the formation of minorities and the ability in attracting influential people’s attention, all in a push for social and political change. Online networks have drastically impacted activism and social change. Digital media changes fast, so it will be interesting to see how online activism will progress even more in the years to come.
References:
BlackLivesMatter. (2022). Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/blklivesmatter/
Bludau, K. R. (2021). Company Activism & Black Lives Matter: A Content Analysis of BLM Instagram Posts. ProQuest One Academic. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/company-activism-amp-black- lives-matter-content/docview/2547058155/se-2?accountid=10382
Caitlyn Jenner Foundation. (2022). Accessed from: https://caitlynjennerfoundation.org/grantees/
Dixon, P. J., & Dundes, L. (2020). Exceptional Injustice: Facebook as a Reflection of Race- and Gender-Based Narratives Following the Death of George Floyd. Social Sciences, 9(12), 231. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci9120231
Freeform. (2022). Accessed from: https://www.freefrom.org/
Freelon, D., Marwick, A., & Kreiss, D. (2020). False equivalencies: Online activism from left to right. Science, 369(6508), 1197–1201. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abb2428
Hong, S., & Nadler, D. (2015). The Unheavenly Chorus: Political Voices of Organized Interests on Social Media. Policy & Internet, 8(1), 91–106. https://doi.org/10.1002/poi3.110
Instagram. (2022). Accessed from: Instagram.com
Maddison, S., & Scalmer, S. (2005). Activist Wisdom: Practical knowledge and creative tension in social movements. University of NSW Press. Accessed from: http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/detail.action?docID=291986#
North, A. (2019). 7 Positive Changes that have come from the #MeToo Movement. Vox. https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/10/4/20852639/me-too-movement-sexual-harassment-law-2019
Trott, V. (2020, March 6). In the #MeToo movement, not all voices have been heard. Lens Monash University. https://lens.monash.edu/@politics- society/2020/03/06/1379779/in-the-metoo-movement-not-all-voices-have-been- heard#:~:text=Present%20at%20the%20beginning%20of,protest%20and%20fram ing%20the%20movement.
Williams, M. L. (2020). Social media’s commodified, transgender ambassador: Caitlyn Jenner, celebrity activism, and social media. Celebrity Studies, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2020.1782236
Hi Kayla, thanks for the interesting read. I think it’s fantastic that marginalized groups continue to find a voice on social media platforms and last few years have shown how so much our society needs to be worked on. I am curious as to why the MeToo and BlackLivesMatter gained traction on different platforms. Do you think it was random chance or is there something about the respective platforms that resonated with each movement?
Hi Raymond,
Thanks for your comment!
Yes I agree social media provides valuable tools in forming communities for marginalised groups, which I think is something that was very much lacking before the Web 2.0. People were more afraid to speak up in person so a lot was left unsaid, hence a lot of things were frowned upon (POC, LGBTQ+, feminism, etc). Social media has provided people with a voice and that has brought people with similar beliefs together.
Hashtag activism really thrives on these two platforms. More then 75% of social media users use hashtags in their posts daily. Once Twitter incorporated them, then Instagram, Facebook and the rest began to follow.
Instagram and Twitter both also have special tools of discoverability and spreadability. It’s easy to locate brands, influencers, celebrities and even filter searches through hashtags. New content pops up frequently, making it hard to not to keep up to date with current trends or social issues. Platforms like Twitter enable users to retweet and Instagram allows us to re-share other’s content. This shows how easy it is to spread information through the tools that these platforms provide. You may have no contact or even heard of a user who has posted something interesting, but due to people you follow re-sharing consistently, it would eventually reach you. For example, the ‘Me Too’ Movement. As I mentioned in the paper that when actress Alyssa Milano shared a tweet of her sexual assault story with the ‘#MeToo,’ it resulted with over 200,000 shares by the end of the day.
So yes, I do believe these respectable platforms have favourable abilities to spread content fast and to a mass audience, compared to other platforms.
Hi Kayla, good paper and enjoyable to read. I don’t find the argument that social media > raising awareness = positive social change overly convincing.
#MeToo, some have argued, has been appropriated by middle-class, wealthy, white women (no doubt they have suffered as well) but there doesn’t seem to be much of the solidarity that you mention for the poorer working-class women, none-white women, that have also suffered from sexual harassment but don’t have the financial means of time to seek justice.
I can see from you essay that some material changes have come from the movement –
“California banned agreements in sexual assault, harassment or discrimination cases with New York and New Jersey following in 2018 (North, 2019). This example shows that the ‘#MeToo’ movement had a positive impact on creating an online space for people to support one another as well as creating a push for change of sexual misconduct laws in America.
although I’m sure this would not have come about from retweets and hashtags alone, there would have been some real work on the ground to make this happen i.e., some ‘thick communities’ involved. I also think that passing laws is all well and good but who has access to the legal system – if an Uber driver is sexually harassed do they have the financial means to seek redress in a notoriously expensive legal system? Maybe if they were part of union but otherwise, I doubt it – but it does make everyone feel better so maybe that’s something. Although, the Time’s Up Legal Defence fund sounds very positive and will make a difference to people’s lives.
I would argue that #MeToo and Black Lives Matter there seems to be a weak analysis of the structural causes of both sexual harassment and racism, which I would also argue, are systemic of an economic system that needs to divide the working class into different groups (women, black people, white working-class men) to prevent them realising they are victims to a greater or lesser extent of capitalist class relations. So, it seems that we end up with what Chris Hedges coins as “boutique politics” where there is no joined up analysis, just different hashtags for different social movements.
This is my main criticism of online activism – it equates political change with raising awareness, which turns into movements more concerned with raising money than with challenging structural injustices and changing people’s lives for the better. It is also easy for corporations to join in with these movements by sharing a hashtag, one example is Amazon which added a black square to its webpage but was simultaneously selling software that discriminately targets black people to police forces in the US.
But even worse than that is that it creates a fantasy that the world can be changed by sitting in your armchair posting #hashtags.
Hi Philip, thanks for your comment!!
Yeah I definitely agree there are positives and negatives to online activism in creating social change.
However, I do think you are underestimating the impact of social media in these changes. Yes, California changing their laws was a positive change. This was enforced after the ‘Metoo’ Movement garnered a lot of attention on social media. Within 24 hours of the hashtag being public, it had already been used more then 12 million times. I agree, that using these hashtags can be low impact, but once they reach the right people who can create an impact, then the meaning is amplified. For example celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Debra Messing and Rosario Dawson have all shared their ‘Metoo’ stories on Twitter. This helps to amplify the issue. It seems that to create the social change, the awareness must be raised first. “MeToo” is a movement that is still being shared on social media and has slowly created social change, hence the laws in America changing. The movement has heightened global attention and also created many initiatives to combat sexual harassment such as ‘Times Up’ and a $20 million workplace fund to end workplace harassment. This in itself is social change, as it has changed workplaces and the way that people communicate.
I think it is definitely a slowly moving process, as in recent years I’m sure you can agree, that people are a lot more careful about the things they say in person or share online. They don’t want to be wrongly perceived or come across as offensive to others. I think this is in itself is a social change that has stemmed from social media. People are more aware of their behaviours and are more likely to call others out for things that are said. To be more politically correct in the things we say and do, to ensure we are showing acceptance of one another. In regards to the MeToo movement, the spread of this hashtag online has opened the eyes of millions of users who have suffered and didn’t realise, or had unknowingly hurt someone else. Surveys in America have found that compared to before the movement began, women regarded the workplace harassment from men as not serious, compared to after the movement, when they were better educated and informed on what it actually was. They realised it was in fact a serious issue. This informative movement has made people more conscious of their behaviours and the way they speak and behave towards women, hence social change, which is the changes in human interactions and relationships that can transform cultural institutions.
Hi Kayla. Great read with this one. I think we have to appreciate how social media allows just about anyone to have a voice, and to start that wave for a potential action or reaction towards something.
The examples you have touched upon are valid and make a good point.
However, how do online societies stop scammers or trolls from using these type of movements in the same way. In the past there have been people portraying a fake profile or misinforming others, before gaining support.
It certainly can be an online gateway that can swing both ways and is a hazard that is yet to have been eliminated or overcome.
Hi Ozan,
Thanks for your comment!
An intriguing thought you raised.
I definitely agree, with the good comes the bad in online networks and scammers are probably the biggest barrier in creating a community pushing for change. It’s the bad side effect to these social media platforms that allow you to portray yourself as someone else. All I can think about in reference to your comment is the spread of misinformation to do with Covid-19 and vaccines. It definitely impacted our society heavily and almost created a divide among people in real life!
It seems like a hard thing to combat when the topics are new and quite unknown as Covid-19 was, but I think for the most part, activism towards issues that have been around for decades are known enough by society to make conscious and informed decisions, despite the misinformation being spread.
Thanks!
Hey Kayla,
This is an amazing paper and was so interesting to read.
‘Clicktivism’ is some that I find super interesting to read and hear about, it is something that I see every-time there is a movement that is going viral with people I follow on Instagram. Do you believe that people should completely stop sharing and posting stuff if that is all they are doing? I feel like sometimes ‘clicktivism’ isn’t the worst thing in the world because it does share it to people who might do something about it. In a perfect world everyone would do everything in their power to help everyone with all the issues in the world, but I think in someways the use of just sharing might be all someone can do, do you believe that that is a negative thing?
Thank you,
Aimee
Hi Aimee,
Thank you for your comment.
I definitely agree with your thoughts on clicktivism. Liking or sharing can come across as meaningless, but still encourages spreadability and expands the audience it reaches. Yes in a perfect world, we would absolutely do everything we could in helping others and create equality. I think social media and clicktivism helps in a sense that we can’t singlehandedly help with every issue, but as you said can garner the attention from someone that has the resources to create a change.
I think clicktivism is also great as it allows us to observe all of our individual and collective beliefs and stances on social issues, which I think can help educate younger generations with how we should be treating one another, as they can see the impact particular social issues have on social media.
All in all, I think its a great way to spread information and educate youths in todays generation.
Thank you!