Hashtags, Karens, and Insurgent Social Media: Developing a Mobile Application to Examine Social Media Practices as a Form of Activism

This concept paper advocates for the use of a digital social justice app designed to share resources among activists and organizations. It will utilize hashtag ethnography to analyze how hashtags serve as organizing tools and sites of collective expression in the digital age. It also builds on media witnessing theory, which suggests that viewing social injustices through digital media creates a morally-grounded reaction and shapes audience responses, transforming passive spectators into active participants. Furthermore, the project engages with the framework of Black digital practice to explore how African Americans use social platforms to navigate social justice. Expanding on these theoretical frameworks, this project also involves the development of a digital application designed to support activism through data collection and community engagement. The Justice App will serve as a hub where users can document incidents of injustice, share information, communicate securely, and receive real-time updates for mobilization.