Hastivism is something I care about because I am very active on twitter and tons of other silly places on the internet. Hashtivism is the use of hashtags to get something productive done, usually on the website twitter and sometimes now on Facebook and other sites that now allow the use of hashtags. I want to talk about Kony 2012 specifically and the Ice Bucket Challenge because they are the perfect examples of a flop and a success through the medium of hashtivisim.

Kony2012 was not successful because the people involved were not educated very well on the subject. When that eventually came to light people turned on them very quickly. Kony2012 wanted to demand world leaders to do something about Joseph Kony and his use of child soldiers. What was not documented in their short film was that the USA had already been actively working against Kony and forced him out of country starting in 2008. Needless to say it did not end up going well.

The Ice Bucket Challenge was much more successful. People threw around a lot of hate for this like Kony2012, but it accomplished its goals by 1) driving up ALS awareness, and 2) it drove up the donations given by a great sum. Once celebrities got involved it became a movement that even former president George W Bush participated in. Hashtivism can be a productive tool of social change.