Entry #7: The Hashtag
The Hashtag which is symbolized by the symbol # has become a large social media trend. Hashtags are used on social media sites to organize and collect posts. According to the article by Wikipedia called, Hashtag, Hashtags were made to cross reference post or topics. Today, many people use hashtags. Some people do not even know that the # symbol is not only used for hashtags. The # symbol also means pounds or number depending on how it is used. For example say someone were to write, #11 that would mean number 11 and if someone were to write, 11# then that would mean 11 pounds. According to the article, Understand the Versatility and Necessity of Hashtag Activism, in 2007 a man named, Chris Messina proposed that the pound sign (#) should be used to tag posts on social media. The article Understand the Versatility and Necessity of Hashtag Activism, also says that "75% of social media users share posts with hashtags daily." Hashtags have gained popularity and are used in various ways.
On social media, people use hashtags to gather support for a movement. The article, Understand the Versatility and Necessity of Hashtag Activism, lists a few of the most popular hashtag movements. One of the movements listed in the article is the #IceBucketChallege which is used to gain awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Another one of the hashtag movements that the article talks about is #BlackLivesMatter. #BlackLivesMatter is a movement that is against racial violence towards the African-American people. Hashtags on social media are used for many reasons from gathering support for a cause to sharing posts with people in an online community.
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