#MeToo and Social Media

The #MeToo movement is one everyone had heard about. And one that is so important and crucial to todays society. Back in 2006 the movement first began, created by Tarana Burke. It didn’t first catch on and begin trending however until about 5 years ago in 2017. This was due to one social media post that really got the movement to spread.

Actress Alyssa Milano tweeted the hashtag in 2017 in regards to the large injustice that was going on in hollywood. She was on of the actresses who was sexually assaulted by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. When she tweeted this hashtag, it took in internet by storm and became one of the biggest social media movements to date, much like the amazing Black Lives Matter has taken over social platforms in recent times.

The social media movement allowed survivors to take to social platforms and share their stories. They could share their experiences in their own words without having to do it under some elses words or terms. As of 2018, over 19 million tweets had been sent using the hashtag according to USA Today.

The movement was built on social media for so many reasons. The message was able to be so widespead so quickly. With an issue like sexual assault, when one survivor steps up and tells their story, it inspires another to do the same. Because of this, so many women were able to tell their stories and the more who did, the more who came forward and continued the message and movement.

The spread on social media allowed the movement to gain national recognition and be covered by media organizations across the country. This then helped it grow even further. It shed light on such a big issue in our country and has only allowed people to have their voices heard in ways they didn’t know was possible in these past years.