#DoesItReallyWork

Does #Hashtivism really work? Hashtivism, or hashtag activism, is the use of hashtags (#) to build awareness about a certain subject matter or a cause. This can go in both a positive and negative direction, but moreover, hashtivism has been seen as a mostly positive action. But with such a popular form of action, reaction and voicing opinions, the question still remains: does is really work. 

An article I read titled "Slacktivism or Hashtivism? You decide" by Nyssa Booth questions the inherent productivity of hashtivism. The term "slacktivism" is merely the words "slacker" and "activism," implying the the use of hashtivism has made the activist lazy. Physical activism, such as a boycott, protest or volunteer efforts are seen as more effect and involved than creating a hashtag and spreading across the internet. He states "Although it seems hashtag activism cannot be considered a serious form of activism, many will agree that it is important in raising social awareness."

While researching the topic of hashtivism I came across many criticisms of the practice. Many people question it's usefulness, how it's used and what comes out of it. Many people refer to such initiatives like #SaveOurGirls or #YesAllWomen. Many say that is either a short lived attempt to make something a trending topic or that it becomes a desensitized version of the true intentions, much like that of the #ALS ice bucket challenge, where participants would do that challenge, but not understand what it meant or even donate to the charity. 

Another criticism of hashtivism I noticed while looking things, was that it was viewed as somewhat biased. Because of the functionality of of twitter, the people most likely to see a hashtivist post are the people that follow them, people who already identify and share a similar consensus of attitudes and view points. Most people aren't going to follow someone on twitter if they don't agree with what they post, and they sure aren't going to repost it, potentially spreading the trend. 

In my opinion, hashivism has it's place in an activist movement. While hashitivsm may not be as compelling as written and signed petition, open protest, rally or boycott, it is still a very effect tool in spreading information and awareness to the general public. In this generation, almost 80% of the population has a twitter, so when it comes the question of "does hashtivism really work?" you have to be aware of what it actually accomplishes and how it is used. The way I see it, hashtivism works when it comes to speeding awareness and getting attention, but nothing more. Yeah, it generates a lot of numbers and responses, but when it comes to social and political issues, real, visible and tangible action is needed, not a "#" with a trending topic.