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#LoveWins
Minutes after the announcement of the Supreme Court Ruling to legalize gay marriage, the LGBTQIA+ celebration took social media by storm. The trend of posting celebratory joyful images and gifs was accelerated by celebrities chiming in as well. Twitter was the main vehicle for the movement that gained attention and spread awareness about the 14th amendment. -
#TakeAKnee
NFL players— most notably Colin Kaepernick, kneel through the duration of the National Anthem to draw attention to racial inequality, causing great controversy surrounding the legality and constitutionality of boycotting the National Anthem. -
#MeToo
In 2017, closely following the sexual misconduct allegations of Harvey Weinstein, the hashtag "Me Too" (conceived in 2003) was revamped by millions of users echoing their experiences and emphasizing the widespread problem. The largest attention of the hashtag was among Hollywood figures via Twitter and Facebook. -
#ClimateChange
Celebrities posting about fires in Malibu, others affected all over the world by wildfires, compounded with the devastation of hurricanes and tropical storms, spark widespread attention on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using #ClimateChange. Controversy grows surrounding the topic as President Trump denies facts presented by scientists. -
Lebanon Government Protests
In November of 2019, Lebanese government officials enraged the country with a proposed tax on the social media platform What'sApp. This being the main form of communication for many Lebanese people, protests quickly formed in Beirut and led to the reversal of the tax. This also sparked a movement that uncovered more governmental corruption. -
#BlackLivesMatter
The death of George Floyd is recorded and goes viral, leading to massive growth in social media conversation. Protests for civil rights erupt in countries all around the world. Related hashtags such as #ICantBreathe, #BreonnaTaylor, #SayTheirNames, and #DefundThePolice gain traction on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook.
