From politics to social activism: How hashtag changed the world in a decade

1. From politics to social activism: How hashtag changed the world in a decade The humble “#” is now powerful enough to infiltrate social media networks and launch grassroots campaigns against state and non-state actors alike

2. The numerical proliferation of the “#” is a definitive metric of success when it comes to raising awareness of key issues Current Affairs : From fashion trends to global events, the hashtag (#) has become the conspicuous symbol of the Twittersphere. What only a decade ago denoted a numerical symbol of no special significance or attribution is now a call to arms for causes that are many and varied. The “#” is a social organiser, which emerged spontaneously and dynamically from the content generated and updated by social media users. The initial intent behind the “#”, when Twitter launched in 2006, lay in its simple use as a means of organising data and information. An indexing tool for grouping anything from the politically relevant to the culturally hip, the “#” soon found itself aligned with some of the most significant events in history. Capturing a broad spectrum of the public’s preoccupations with popular culture, social exclusion, relief efforts following natural disasters or…Know more →News Source:BS/Business Standard←