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LGBTQ+ Rights
Over the years as it's become more acceptable to the American culture to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community, social media has assisted the community in their efforts. Back in 2009, there was a movement called #NoH8 where people would post a picture of themselves with a piece of duct tape over their mouths, with the saying "NO H8" on their cheek. This was a "silent protest" after Proposition 8 came about, criminalizing homosexual marriage. Later in 2015, LGBTQ+ marriage was legalized in the US. -
#PrayForParis
Back in 2015, there was a series of attacks in Paris, France. There were several bombings and shootings, with one of the largest death tolls since WWII. As social media spread the devastating news about the attacks, the hashtag #PrayForParis came about, creating support for the French people and their families during a time of grieving. #PrayForParis, #PrayForPeace, and #StandWithParis took over the internet and united humanity together after this heartbreaking event. -
Black Lives Matter
Although the #BlackLivesMatter movement has been around for over 5 years, back in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, there was protests all over the US. The video of Floyd went around on social media, depicting him getting crushed by a police officer's knee in the city street. As this protest took over social media, June 2, 2020 was nicknamed as "Blackout Tuesday" where everyone who supported the cause posted a plain black square on their social media feed. -
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
In late February of this year, there was a deadly invasion of Ukraine. As more than a third of their population has dispersed, fleeing the country to seek safety, this event created the largest refugee population since WWII. People all over the world have supported Ukrainian refugees and fought their own war on social media with the #Ukraine campaign and many companies in the US using the Ukrainian flag in campaigns. -
Roe v. Wade Overturn
Just a few days before the celebration of Independence Day, the Supreme Court announced that they had voted to overturn the right for American women to receive an abortion. In a country where we are taught from birth that we are free, SCOTUS took away a constitutional right. This erupted on social media, mostly in the form of short form videos like reels and Tik Toks, where women dissed Independence Day this year because why should they celebrate America if America doesn't support them?