Hashtivism

Hashtivism? Does using a hashtag mean I’ve made a difference? In lab this week we were talking about hashtivism and that really interested me because I have personal experience with the power of a hashtag. When I was in high school there was a girl named Heather Miller battling cancer. My High School and the entire community came together for this girl even if you didn’t personally know her you supported her. Well, someone eventually started the hashtag trend #staystrongheather and it became this phenomenon. It started off as just the kids from my school tweeting it but then the other schools started tweeting it and then it became one of the main hashtags on twitter, then it became a worldwide trend and it was so amazing to watch that happen. Mac Miller tweeted at her, Kerri Walsh the Olympic beach volleyball player tweeted at her, the band Patent Pending tweeted about her, the Iron Pigs baseball team tweeted about her and even Troy Polamalu from the Pittsburgh Steelers came and visited her while she was in the hospital. Now all of these tweets didn’t save Heather, but I really think it made a difference in her life. Through the hashtag it was able to show her that millions of people supported her because that really does make a difference in someone’s life.

      I think that hashtags when used for the right thing can be useful, when its stupid stuff like #thebootyhadmelike that’s not helping anything, granted its not hurting anything either but I think things like that devalue things like what my school started. I think that hashtivism can induce social change either in a negative or positive way. When it’s something positive for example the #ALSIceBucketChallenge it brought attention and awareness to Lou Gehrig's Disease which was very successful and made over millions in the matter of days however, not everyone contributed I know a couple of people who just did the challenge because everyone was doing it therefore didn’t even donate and help contribute to the cause. However it can also be negative for example the most recent and, arguably, the most widely recognized example of hashtivism is #CancelColbert, which was a response to a segment on The Colbert Report that used racial slurs against Asians.

            I’m torn I can’t really say that hashtivism is neither good nor bad or that we should limit the use of hastags or if we should get rid of them all together. I propose that rather than using Twitter or Facebook hashtags to spread a supposed message, feeling that we’ve contributed to change, maybe it’s time that we put down our smartphones, tablets, and computers; go out and meet new people; make new connections; and show people that the world does not want or need people that behave in such a manner. Go and be the example that you wish for. Be a leader. Stop wishing that someone will rise up to lead the world to change. Be that leader! Be the change you wish to see in the world, instead of the hashtivist that only thinks change has been made.