By: Tess Lesesne
Changing Landscape
As social media has continued to grow in its prominence in today’s society, more and more people are starting to engage in social or political activism on social media platforms. Activists have been able to utilize social media in order to get strong support behind the issues they are passionate about. In fact, half of Americans have engaged in some sort of political or social activism on social media in the past year. By engaging with likeminded individuals through something like a Facebook group, or by increasing awareness of events through social media sharing, people can use social media to make a bigger impact on the issues that they care about.
#MeToo
We have seen this issue play out very prominently in the past year with the Me Too movement, which aims to increase awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace. Originally, the movement was meant to help survivors of sexual harassment by connecting them with the resources they need, and creating a network of survivors that worked towards solutions to sexual violence in our society. However, the movement took on an entirely new life of its own with the creation the the #metoo hashtag. The hashtag brought together sexual assault survivors from all around the world, and forced the issue to the forefront of news coverage.
Who’s Next?
The huge attention generated for the #metoo movement soon began to have a serious impact in the real world, with many prominent male leaders and celebrities being accused of sexual assault. Notable media celebrities such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Louis CK lost their jobs due to the allegations. The public began to wonder which celebrity would be accused next. The fallout surrounding this movement shows just how powerful of an effect social media can have on the real world. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter now play a huge role in Agenda Setting today, meaning that they tell the public what issues to think about. The massive number of people using the Me Too hashtag catapulted the issue of sexual assault to the forefront of the public’s mind; thus eventually creating real change. This is a great example of how social media can be used by political and social activists to effect the type of change they want.
Sources
Vivian, John, and Peter J. Maurin. The Media of Mass Communication. W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library, 2018.
This was a great article that most people can really relate to. The use of hashtags like #metoo are a way to connect people who share similar viewpoints on certain issues without really causing much of a scene about sharing opinions. We also experience opinion leaders using these hashtags which also can persuade other people’s opinions or thoughts on particular subjects as well–something you may want to consider adding in! Overall great post!
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