Leah Corinne Jones
ABSTRACT
In 2019 to early 2020, 33 white supremacist crimes occurred at Syracuse University. Several groups organized to call for accountability, including the Black student led NotAgainSU. Echoing previous scholarship, the protesters used hashtag activism to build networks of support through #NotAgainSU. Through these networks, they built coalitional advocacy networks, which are integral to social justice efforts. However, hashtags are embedded in interfaces which structure “micro-interactions” and mediate the circulation of political content; thus, designers also have a role to play in advocacy work. In this paper, I draw from survey and interview data to learn about people's experiences with the circulation of the hashtag, and what interface features of Twitter and Instagram were most useful to organizers in building coalitions. Combined with their responses, I conducted an interface analysis focused on “micro-interactions” of Twitter's “What's Happening” interface, and Instagram's Live Stream interface. I argue that though both may have helped to build coalitions, both interfaces falsely equate the stakes of different users, and perpetuate privilege and power. Finally, I suggest a series of heuristic questions and considerations for researchers and social media interface designers.
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