How has social media (Tumblr) shaped the ‘feminism movement’ for young girls? (W3)
Feminism is something that has been around for forever, however it’s only recently gained popularity on social media platforms such as Tumblr and Twitter. Keller argues, that this movement is primarily “teenage girls” who are strategically deciding on what sort of ‘feminist’ content they would like to engage with. (Keller, 2019) #Croptopday was a hashtag apparent on twitter in late spring of 2015. This hashtag encouraging protests surrounding gendered dress code for teenage girls. Keller mentions how a “19-year-old sophomore,” used this hashtag to protest and bring awareness to the subjection and “policing of girls bodies,” and how harmful it can be to young people. (Keller, 2019)
It’s also important to acknowledge how different platforms have different Vernaculars which can be related to a specific demographic or gender. For example, the language and content typically distributed on Facebook is considered more “conservative” as their audience caters for typically, older people. Keller mentions how Marlo, (19 year old girl) feels uncomfortable posting feminist content on Facebook, in fear of a dispute with family members who may not be familiar or understand such a movement. Tumblr has always been a place for people to express their interests or hobbies whether it be anonymous or not, it didn’t really matter as there was a large interest and appreciation for people who had similar interests.
Tumblr has helped spread awareness on social justice issues and feminism movements through the ways they operate as a platform. Since Tumblr is a public forum for discussion, it has allowed many young women to connect with other women and share similar stories and experiences, which has had a strong and empowering impact. Tumblr has taught and will continue to teach “new and important things about feminism.” (Halloran, 2017) the feminism movement is also something that is still “evolving and [is] more determined than ever.” (Halloran, 2017)
Keller, 2019, “Oh She’s a Tumblr Feminist”: Exploring the Platform Vernacular Girls’ Social Media Feminism,’ social media + society, https://swinburne.instructure.com/courses/40896/pages/week-3-readings?module_item_id=2529002
Halloran, 2017, ’How Tumblr provided with a community of strong, independent woman,’ Thetab,
https://thetab.com/us/2016/06/19/tumblr-spreading-feminism-14529
