![]() ![]() According to the Pew Research Center, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was used nearly 30 million times on Twitter (an average of 17,002 times per day) from its first use in July 2013 to the research cap date of May 1, 2018. The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag was created by the co-founder and strategic advisor Patrisse Khan-Cullors through inspiration from a love letter written to black people by co-founder Alicia Garza, following the killing of Trayvon Martin. Through the use of the hashtag and social media platforms, the online community has been able to organize, mobilize, and improve its visibility, eventually becoming an organization with more than 40 chapters that work to support black lives. The Black Lives Matter movement began as an online community that worked to combat anti-black racism and police violence that targets African Americans in particular, using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. ![]() This resulted in international pressure against the violent reactions of autocratic regimes to protesters. The dissemination of information by sharing local self-generated news translating into mass and international media brought the issues and events into the global discussion. Studies found that though social media helped spark many of the protests through online mobilization, its greatest impact was “acting more as a megaphone than a rallying cry.” Facebook pages and groups created spaces for gathering and community building, sharing stories and information on the ground, and organization for protests in real time. Studies on the Arab Spring protests discuss the use of social media in these events and their effects on the internal populations of the involved countries, as well as the global awareness that citizen journalism created through the sharing of posts, photos, and videos. The use of social media in political uprisings, documenting violence, exercising freedom of speech, and creating space for civic engagement has reinforced the importance and relevance of citizen journalists today. The “Arab Spring” is noted for the young protesters who took to the streets, utilizing social media during the uprisings to organize, create awareness around the political issues, and document the experience on the ground. The revolutions targeted oppressive regimes and low standards of living. The early 2010s saw a series of protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions in Tunisia, which spread quickly across North Africa and the Middle East. The success of the ice bucket challenge was aided by its low barrier to participation, entertainment value (self-made videos that were typically under a minute long), and celebrity participation. If the nominee chose not to, or did not complete the challenge within 24 hours, they were supposed to forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation. The challenge went viral on social media, in part due to its nomination system: Once a person had completed the challenge, they would nominate other individuals to complete it as well. The ice bucket challenge involved dumping a bucket of ice water either over one’s own head or somebody else’s to promote awareness of, and encourage donations to, ALS research. The donation amount was transformative for the association, allowing it to invest in research and assistive technologies, as well as to increase access to healthcare and services for people with ALS. The ALS Association ran an ice bucket challenge in 2014 raised awareness of the disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) - as well as $115 million in donations. Here are some movements and trends that have caught hold in the national and global conversation in part due to their presence across social media. The power of social media can amplify voices, instantaneously spread information, and increase collaboration across diverse groups of people. Modern communication students study these virtual platforms, and can even pursue careers creating and distributing digital content. Features such as feeds, profiles, and groups on social platforms provide global access to organizations that can promote and increase visibility by sharing and networking. People have discovered new ways to communicate and collaborate through social media. How Social Media and Activism Work Together Mass distribution and the ability to effortlessly share information has influenced many facets of modern life, changing the way we think about, connect to, and engage with social justice and activism. As such, social media is revolutionizing communication and access to information on both a national and global scale. Technology is accelerating the rate at which ideas, relationships, and information are shared.
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