The rise of social media activism
A marching group of Black Lives Matter protestors by the city’s waterfront. Photo by Albert Sharp
Activists have increased social media use while furthering their causes.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, activists have had a harder time organizing in-person protests, rallies and sit-ins. As a result, many of them have turned towards platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to share information in new ways.
According to multiple studies from Pew Research Centre, hashtags associated with social movements have been used more than ever before, with #blacklivesmatter being used 8.8 million times on May 28, 2020, surpassing the previous record of approximately 1.3 million uses in one day on July 7, 2016.
According to content creator Dara Nfon, 19, known as @dayra2the_rescue to their followers, the methods used to get messages across vary across platforms.
“On TikTok, people often just make videos talking about certain issues,” said Nfon. “As well as providing links – they say they have links in their Linktree and stuff.”
Protestors carrying signs in support of their cause. Photo by, Albert Sharp
Alternatively, she said on platforms like Instagram and Twitter, people share more informative posts with options on how to help.
These methods can make activism more accessible for people who cannot make it to protests or rallies. TikTok creator @bree_knee said online activism has further advantages beyond its accessibility.
“I can hope social media activism will stay at the level it is,” said @bree_knee. “Because for a lot of people, it’s not necessarily safe to go to protests.”
They said people may not be able to attend protests due to conflicting opinions within families, which has a notable impact on young people with disapproving parents.
As well, activists find it can be easier to organize movements online. According to creator and activist Priscilla Espiritu, 20, online activism makes it easier for their voice to be heard.
“My online activism is so much easier in some ways,” said Espiritu., “Because the people that I have access to are people that want to listen. So, it’s more education than anything else.”
Despite the accessibility of online activism, supporters encourage people to do their research to make sure the messages they are spreading are accurate and meaningful. Additionally, they encourage people to share things with the intention to help, instead of hopping on trends, citing actions like #BlackoutTuesday, where people posted black squares to oppose racism as being ineffective and coming off as performative. As well, creators said they wish to see people continue to talk about causes they believe in beyond the context of recent tragedies and events.
With current hashtags such as #StopAsianHate consistently trending, social media activism continues to address relevant issues, including controversial ones like anti-mask groups or #StopTheSteal.
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