We all use hashtag. We use it because it looks cool when you use it. At least we thought so until these people came into action. We got to stop overuse the hashtags. It doesn't look cool or anything.
Some of the hashtags that we have used before actually have motivation behind it. For example, #icebucketchallenge and #prayforparis. These hashtags were created to raise awareness and support a movement. However, I think all of these have some aspects of slacktivism. On the other hand, #freekesha was the hashtag that doesn't have any aspect of being slacktivism.
#icebucketchallenge was a sensation in the summer of 2015. Almost half of people that I know have emptied a bucket full of ice water over their head. I knew it was to raise awareness and money to help people with ALS disease. However, I think some people caught on to this trendy 'challenge' as a show off, not to raise awareness of a disease. In the beginning of this campaign, many people actually donated money after doing #icebucketchallenge. As the trendy challenge gets bigger and bigger, more people just thought that it is just for fun. I can't deny that this campaign is one of the most successful campaign by financially. I'm embarrassed to say this but, I was that person who did the #icebucketchallenge and not actually support by donating money to the foundation. We have to know what we are doing before actually doing it.
Now on to the next hashtag. #prayforparis is a hashtag that started after a terrorist attack in Paris. I understand people getting upset and sad about the incident but I don't think making a hashtag really helps the people in Paris. The only reason why it was a big issue was, because it happened in Europe. Why aren't we talking about and creating hashtag when there are terrors in Middle Eastern countries? I call this bullsh*t.
#prayforparis is one of the most famous slacktivism hashtag.
#freekesha is one of the activism hashtag that I've seen in my social media. Since by mentioning the problem that Kesha was involved, it helped Kesha to cancel her contract with her producer. Every people who supported Kesha, which was a lot, actually helped Kesha by forcing the producer to cancel the contract. Because no one used this hashtag to follow the trend, it was a serious active movement, which gained positive result. This kind of hashtags have to be created not like other bullsh*ts.
I know it's hard to stop hashtaging. It is addictive. But you gotta get through the hard time to understand almost all of the hashtags are useless.
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