The first hashtag used on Twitter was in 2007 by Chris Messina when he tweeted “How do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?”
This created a whole new way for people to find information much quicker and for groups to gather on social media. In the past decade, people have created hashtags to raise awareness or symbolize activism on an issue. While some believe that it may not have any real lasting effects, there are others who support the idea and believe that just by providing awareness, something is being done. Notable examples are: #BringBackOurGirls in 2014, which had over 2 million retweets in an effort for the return of 200 kidnapped schoolgirls in Nigeria; #Marchforourlives in 2018, which inspired a march in support of stricter gun laws. Even more popular are #Blacklivesmatter, an effort to raise awareness of police violence on African Americans, and #Metoo, a movement raising awareness for sexual assault survivors—both gained national attention.
Examine a current social injustice hashtag of your choice, such as those mentioned above.
In Microsoft® Word, create a 1.5- to 2-page blog post that reviews a hashtag activism campaign. Ensure you do the following in your blog post:
Explain the origin of the hashtag.
Analyze the effect the hashtag had on society. Consider the following:
What types of conversations, if any, did it start?
What was the backlash of the hashtag?
What was the effect of the hashtag? (What, if anything, changed?)
Did the hashtag go viral?
Which effects theory does it address?
