Hashtagivism

Hashtag Activism

You know what it is. We find something we are passionate about, or moved by or want to change. 

What can we do about it?

We can make sure the world knows how important it is to us. We can raise awareness. We can pop up a hashtag'ed statement on social media to let the world know that we are aware of the injustice and, dammit, we are gonna let someone else know about it too!

I recently heard that one of the founders of the "occupy" movement decried this type of hashtag activism as being one of the downfalls of the occupy movement. Many were wanting to make a change, so they did something about it. They tweeted, posted and voiced a quick blurb about how they were in the game. Since they felt like they'd made a difference, they went on with their lives, then wondered why the change they craved never came to fruition.

I am not a fan of the occupy movement, but I do wonder if I've ever fallen prey to thinking my hashtagivisim has at all changed the world. Have I tossed out a quick "I support you" post, and thought that would take the place of doing something real and making an impact in a meaningful way.

As for you occupiers make sure you hash tag it up. As far as I'm concerned, that's all we need out of you.