Hashtag Activism

Last Updated: November 12, 2012

Definition - What does Hashtag Activism mean?

Hashtag activism is the act of fighting for or supporting a cause that people are advocating through social media like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other networking websites. This is the kind of activism that does not require any action from the person other than sharing or "liking" a post or "retweeting" tweets on Twitter. The term gets its name from the liberal use of hashtags (#) that are often used to spread the word about a cause over Twitter.

Hashtag activism is also known as social activism.

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Techopedia explains Hashtag Activism

Although hasthag activism often comes from a real desire to contribute to a good cause, the practice has its critics. Those who decry hashtag activism believe that this movement is a way of allowing people who participate to feel good about themselves even if they haven't put in any real effort. However, activist campaigns started over social media have been known to spread into real movements that created real change. So, while hashtag activism might come and go, the awareness that it creates around an issue in the real world is better than nothing and may even help in the long run.