Analyzing Digital Activism

The first evidence of the usage of the hashtag black lives matter on Twitter made an appearance August 20, 2012, six months after the shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin , a 17-year-old African American boy from Florida. Martin was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a fellow resident and neighborhood watchman of the gated community Martin was visiting family at. Even though Trayvon Martin was unarmed and Zimmerman admitted to the murder despite defying the instruction given from the dispatcher to not engage, Zimmerman was not arrested until three weeks after the incident because he claimed to be using self-defense, a seemingly valid reason under the “stand your ground” Florida state law passed in 2005 that permits anyone to use lethal force if their life is in danger. The problem with this claim is that Martin was unarmed and it can’t be confirmed that Martin instigated any contact or was intending Zimmerman harm. The first tweet associating both Martin’s death a...

Social media is a very good way to broaden awareness of what is happening in the real world, bringing businesses together with families who need aid, and acknowledging those who are helping on the front-lines in allowing those who are being helped put faces to those who are actively helping. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are some of the best ways to show people what is going on in other parts of the world. Almost everyone has some form of social media, whether it be something they access on their phones or on computers, as long as it is available it can benefit people in need. Having the ability to access social media is the first step in accessing current events. Current events such as Hurricane Irma are hurting an enormous amount of people. These people can request help from a larger populous, because they have access to said populous through social media. Raising Awareness in the Face of Disaster Facebook has a search engine option that people can use to see who ...