Written for a  graduate course during the Fall of 2019 at the University of Southern California called Introduction to Digital Social Media, this piece examines “slacktivism” campaigns and explores the power and success of hashtag activism through #BlackLivesMatter and #Kony2012. Additionally, this paper examines how hashtag activism  and has been instrumental in social justice movements by professional athletes such as Colin Kaepernick and LeBron James.

Social Activism 2.0 – Hashtag Activism

Introduction

Hashtag activism, introduced in 2007, is a relatively newer but common phenomenon in the digital media ecosystem that has added value and strength to the roles of social activism.  Since its inception, it has been used in the communal spaces of social media to build community, demonstrate invention, and demand action.  The continually growing popularity and use of social media, along with its influence on numerous aspects of life, is illustrated through the successful practice of hashtag activism as seen with #Kony2012 campaign across multiple platforms and #BlackLivesMatter on Twitter (Van, 2014).