Hashtag Activism: No One Really Cares What You Have to Say
https://pixabay.com/photos/people-woman-rally-protest-unite-2575608/
Social unrest has hit an all-time high in recent months due to the specific mistreatment of people of color. Individuals by the name of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor are just the tip of this ever present iceberg. An iceberg that, unfortunately, has been festering deep below the surface since the beginning of time. You might be asking yourself: Why are these individuals special? Why are these individuals receiving so much attention, if people of color have been targeted since the beginning of time? The answer to those questions could point to a very simple conclusion: the invention and perpetual use of social media. Social media has impacted not only the way we receive information, but also the way we process that same information.
I remember the horror and actual ache in my stomach and throat when the tragic, uncensored footage depicting George Floyd’s murder was released to the media. These unspeakable acts are now being shared, and going viral due impart to the success and pervasiveness of social media in today’s climate. People are done asking for justice. They are now demanding it. Because of these changes, activism has never looked quite so different than it does today. I aim to gently explore those differences. During the course of this article I will explain how the phrase social media activism has come to be born, what it entails, and why social media activism on its own may not be enough to see actual change.
Social Media and Social Activism
A few months ago, a viral challenge took over Instagram. Overnight, social media pages were flooded with black squares. Some black squares were posted with no caption. Some black squares were posted with hashtags such as #BlackLivesMatter, #BLM, and #BlackOutTuesday. We can look at this viral challenge as a simple act of solidarity. However, what started as a simple act of solidarity quickly morphed into something extremely ugly. If you didn’t post a black square, you were labeled racist. If you posted a black square with no caption, you were labeled a sheep. If you posted a black square with a lengthy, heart-felt message you were labeled a victim.
The hashtags don’t stop there, though. #MeToo, #TimesUp, #LoveWins, and #MAGA have all been used in one way or another to show solidarity with and for a specific group of people. A Pew Research Center survey found that “around half of [all] Americans have engaged in some form of political or social-minded activity on social media in the past year” (Auxier). That’s a lot of people using social media to further their political activity, and a lot of people assuming that their work on social media, and by extension themselves, is actually making a difference. The survey also found that social media activism was “especially” important to people of black and hispanic heritage. In comparison, only a third of white social media users felt that social media was an important tool in activism. Another key finding yielded from the survey found that “about two-thirds of Americans think social media helps give a voice to underrepresented groups, but a larger share thinks they distract people from more important issues” (Auxier). It’s no mystery that social media is a necessary tool to navigate and process adverse information, and acts that have happened to us, or that have happened around us. However, if we aren’t using it conscientiously and with a purpose, just how effective is it really?
Cancel Culture in Social Media
Former President Barack Obama gave a speech regarding the dangers of “cancel culture” and social media activism at the third Obama Foundation Summit. He states, “…but I do get a sense sometimes now among young people, and this is accelerated by social media, there is this sense sometimes that the way of me making change is to be as judgemental as possible about other people and that’s enough” (Obama, Third Annual Obama Summit Foundation). I think it’s safe to say that most of us here are social media users. We may not all actively profess our political and social-activism status as freely as other people might. However, this statement made by Barack Obama is extremely profound. Even if you don’t use social media in the context of activism or fighting for a change, we have seen this type of judgement being passed from individuals we know, or maybe we are the individuals passing this judgment. The root of the issue is that we want change to happen. However, is social media the correct platform for this heavy and huge of an issue? Barack Obama concluded his speech by lamenting, “You know, that’s not, that’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change, you know. If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far. That’s easy to do” (Obama, Third Annual Obama Summit Foundation). You may be thinking, well how do I make a change then if social media isn’t the best place for it?
What Else Can We Do?
Social media is a great place to start making a difference. Research and find local groups that share the same values as you do, and then go meet up with them. Locate where peaceful protests are occurring in the nearest city to you, and then attend those peaceful protests. Research organizations that are educating and supporting the causes you believe in whole heartedly, and then donate to those organizations. There are many sources and outlets out there for individuals to make a change. You might start out on various social media platforms, but, eventually, you will need to then follow through with those actions. The key is to become an actual warrior, and not just a keyboard warrior. If not, you may be the “stone thrower” Barack Obama cautioned us about becoming.
Additional Resources:
The Conscious Kid- A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicating their resources, time, and energy to promoting healthy, racial equity in youth across America. Their website offers pages and pages of reading resources for both children and adults. I started following their Instagram page after I saw a direct response to the BLM Movement. You can find them on Instagram at @theconsciouskid.
Direct Relief- A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a direct response to emergency relief. This organization routes medical supplies during global pandemics, stages medical facilities in hurricane-prone regions, provides medical supplies to firefighters in wildfire zones, distributes funds for emergency housing relief in tsunami affected areas, etc. This organization boasts a 100% fundraising efficiency rating from Forbes, and is included on Charity Navigator’s “10 Best Charities Everyone’s Heard off”.
PAWS Chicago- A nonprofit animal shelter and animal hospital located in Chicago, Illinois that has a special mission for all animal lovers. PAWS Chicago, according to Charity Navigator, has ranked in the top 1 percent of charities in the nation with a 4 star rating for 18 consecutive years. Less than 1 percent of nonprofits nationwide have earned that recognition. PAWS Chicago also retains a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accreditation.
Charity Navigator- Is a website that enables users to find and locate organizations that share the same ideas when it comes to donating and allocating resources. It also helps the public understand what a legitimate non profit organization looks like, through ratings based off of several criteria. This website takes the stress off of situations like: How do I know my money will be put to good use if I donate it to this organization?
Research and Credit:
Auxier, Brooke. “Activism on social media varies by race and ethnicity, age, political party”. Pew Research Center: Internet and Technology, Pew Research Center, 13 July 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/07/13/activism-on-social-media-varies-by-race-and-ethnicity-age-political-party/.
Charity Navigator. 2020, https://www.charitynavigator.org/. Accessed 3 November 2020.
DirectRelief. 2020, https://www.directrelief.org/. Accessed 1 November 2020.
Obama, Barack. Third Obama Foundation Summit. 24 April 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/obama-woke-cancel-culture.html.
The Conscious Kid. Conscious Kid Library, 2020, https://www.theconsciouskid.org/. Accessed 2 November 2020.
PAWS Chicago. PAWS Chicago Adoption Center, 2020. https://www.pawschicago.org/. Accessed 2 November 2020.
Nice post!
I believe that social media can be used for wonderful things and it can be used for horrible things. I honestly think it depends on the source. You make a great point about how you can use social media to locate and join groups and organizations that you can actively get involved in. I have joined a couple of groups for Disney and local organizations (in AR and FL). I love the sense of community that is there. It is like you’ve found your people! Nothing beats actually participating in an event. You just feel good about yourself. For instance, when I lived in Florida I would always go to Surfing Santas (https://surfingsantas.org/) on Christmas Eve. I’d donate and buy merchandise to help the Cocoa Beach community and cancer patients. I swear I’d have a warm and fuzzy feeling all day long.
Great post!
Social media is, without a doubt, a sharp double-edged sword. And it’s definitely isn’t the place to illicit change in our society, but it doesn’t hurt to use it as an additional means on top of real world changes and actions you can take.
It sounds like you’ve done a lot of research on this topic; I appreciate you taking the time to share this information.
This was incredibly well written. Your tempered use of ethos and pathos lends itself well to your exigence. Your call to action is reasonable and thoroughly defended. Nicely done!
Social media has it good points and bad points. I think it helps companies expose their services with all the ads you are bound to click on something just out of curiosity. Social Media is a good place to start with the injustice but it shouldn’t stop there. There are always other steps to take to be heard. There is also a downside to social media. You have people out there that are predators. I often worry about what my grandson is seeing and who’s trying to befriend him. Looking forward to seeing what other research you come up with.
Really well-written piece. Social media really is a game-changer, isn’t it? I personally find myself getting tired of the hashtag activism myself. On the other hand, I can recognize that it CAN be used for good. Social media is a constant double-edged sword. On one hand, it has given everybody a platform. On the other hand, it has given everybody a platform.
Great post! There are so many people who use a hashtag and then stop there. That one post isn’t changing the world. There is actual work to do off of social media, out in the world you want to change. Using social media to find groups to be involved in is a great tip that I wish more people would use!
Nice post! I feel like social media has its pros and cons. It can so helpful for raising money for needy, getting educated about something which we are not aware of, and so many great things. But it can be used in a wrong way. people are cyberbullying, a lot of judgment, and whatnot. especially, nowadays, it is scary to see the youngsters are on social media 24/7. we can really stop them but we can help use the social media platform in a good way. Very Informative post!