Digital Activism and Collective Identity: A Systematic Literature Review of Social Media’s Role in Contemporary Social Movements

The digital transformation has reshaped the landscape of social movements, with social media emerging as a vital arena for the practice of digital activism. This study aims to systematically examine how social media contributes to the formation of collective identity within contemporary social movements. Utilizing the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, this research analyzes 60 selected scholarly articles published between 2013 and 2024 from various international academic databases. The findings reveal that social media functions as a symbolic space that facilitates identity negotiation, solidarity building, and collective action mobilization. However, the collective identity formed through digital media tends to be fluid, susceptible to fragmentation, and heavily influenced by platform algorithms. Moreover, significant research gaps remain, particularly in the context of the Global South, along with a lack of interdisciplinary theoretical integration. This review underscores the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the complex interplay between digital technology, social dynamics, and collective identity formation. The results not only contribute to the theoretical advancement of communication studies and social movement research but also offer practical insights for activists and policymakers in designing more effective and inclusive digital communication strategies.