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IMPACT ON SOCIETY. 

In just short year, the #Timesup movement has made an impact in today’s society. While the fund has supported many women by providing legal defense in cases of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, the movement itself has ignited a change in other ways. Times Up has inspired women to no longer be compliant in their watching someone else write their story. The support and connection to women who have faced what they have faced, has given individuals the ability to take back their narrative. 

This change is exactly what 11 year old Nora Ruderman illustrated in this tweet, “She needed a hero so thats what she became.” This movement has not only supported the women who have been affected by the issues today, but its has changed the way we address it for future generations.

https://twitter.com/TIMESUPHC/status/1123618082147028992

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Relationships

One of the most amazing things that comes out of a community like the one encompassed by the #Timesup, is relationships. This online community allows for individuals to connect one with another. It creates a space for women to support one another and find a sense of community they might not be able to get in their physical location, but these relationships can also go beyond the screens. 

#Timesup has held meet ups and rallies for the community to connect and march for change. This gives the community, the ability to deepen their relationship they have made in social networking sites. Then at the end of the day when distance becomes a a barrier again, they always have their online community to turn to. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd0l7n0nkBy/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=oaqgyew7jb0

Ain’t it the truth. We’re coming for you 2018.👊 #PowerToThePolls #TimesUp #RaiseYourVoice #TBT (Regram: @refinery29; sign: @ashleepiper; 📸: @anne_parker)

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Networked Counterpublics

As Oprah Winfrey explained at the 75th Golden Globes, the issue of women being silenced happens across every industry in the workforce. Victims have been bullied into submission and many have endured this treatment for years. With a movemnet like #Timesup, we have begun to see a the change in this behavior. We are no longer being tolerant of this behavior in every aspect of our lives; This includes in virtual contexts. 

“Counter public communication online is often tenuous, at risk of being disrupted, ridiculed, dismissed, or ignored,...” (Renninger, 2014) Since the beginning of Time’s Up, many have tried to disrupt the change and slander the ideas behind the movement. They have tried the same tactics as many before them have, but this time the solidarity of supporters are longer accepting defeat. The community behind the hashtag, truly lives up to its name and no longer gives room to tolerance to the disruptive behavior. 

Renninger, Bryce J. “Where I can be myself … where I can speak my mind” : Networked counterpublics in a polymedia environment. New Media & Society. 2015;17(9):1513-1529. doi:10.1177/1461444814530095

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hksc5yPUxbs

“But it’s not just a story affecting the entertainment industry. It’s one that transcends any culture, geography, race, religion, politics, or workplace. So I want tonight to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue. They’re the women whose names we’ll never know. They are domestic workers and farm workers. They are working in factories and they work in restaurants and they’re in academia, engineering, medicine, and science. They’re part of the world of tech and politics and business. They’re our athletes in the Olympics and they’re our soldiers in the military.”

- Oprah Winfrey at the 75th Golden Globe Awards

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POWER OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

The impact and power that digital technology has on todays society is phenomenal. 

When news began to break on the Harvey Weinstein scandal in 2017, society began to face the ugly truths in the mirror, and the world was left wondering how do we move forward. #Metoo began to trend across every social network platform and numerous countries around the world. It was a rally cry standing in solidarity for the brave women who came forward to bring down Weinstein for his actions.  It brought together a community of people who had been through the pain of being silenced, and wanted to see change. 

#Metoo was the trailblazer and #Timesup would be its action-oriented follow up, to keep the fire burning. Time’s Up would continue standing in solidarity, but would bring the bold strokes to start the undoing of the toxic environment rooted in our society. As Janelle Monae stated “Just as we have the power to shape culture, we also have the power to undo the culture that does not serve us.” Digital technology gave them the platform and power to start a revolution to take down the culture of sexual harassment and assault. Without the reach of social networking sites, movements like #Metoo or #Timesup, would not have the drive it has received to impact the world. It’s important to recognize how truly powerful the technology we have today is. 

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Ashley Judd, alongside Annabella Sciorra and Salma Hayek, took the stage at the 90th annual #Oscars to honor the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement, fighting for inclusion, diversity, and equality for all. ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 … @ashley_judd @iamannabellasciorra @salmahayek @theacademy #ashleyjudd #annabellasciorra #salmahayek #oscars2018 #thefutureisfemale

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Happy Women’s History Month! From #MeToo to #TimesUp, may we all commit to raising our voices and claiming our rightful seat at the table.

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Good evening ladies and remaining gentlemen…it’s 2018 and marijuana is allowed and sexual harassment finally isn’t.

Seth Meyers at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards (via nowitallbegins)

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GIVING MEANING TO A MOVEMENT 

At the heart of it Time’s Up “addresses the systemic inequality and injustice in the workplace that have kept underrepresented groups from reaching their full potential.” The bold statements and challenges made by influential Hollywood stars ignited conversations many were afraid to have. In wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the need for conversations 

At the Golden Globes red carpet, many celebrities were asked why they had just not boycotted the awards show, as for most this would be the first action that would come to mind.  Kerry Washington summed it up perfectly, "We shouldn't have to give up our seat at the table because of bad behavior that wasn't ours.” Boycotting the Golden Globes would have been a major blow to the awards show. However, being present, taking bold stands and supporting the few women who have been recognized for their work was a more powerful response. It started the conversation and continued it through the show. So many powerful figures took a stand and made statements on the change that had to happen now. Their actions gave meaning and purpose to #timesup, a movement that would change the film industry forever. 

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ONLINE COMMUNITIES

As stated by actress and advocate Natalie Portman, the swift success of Time’s up, can be attributed to the desire by many for this kind of shared space. The shared space of solidarity and empowerment, in which there is no room for silence, waiting, or tolerance. A shared space where time is up for injustice and inequality, for women from the factory floor to the floor of the Stock Exchange.

This shared space is a community started by a conversation intended to start a fire to end the distasteful behavior of discrimination, harassment and abuse. Using #Timesup connects individuals around the world into the conversation across social media platforms. It creates a social venue for for people to connect, express themselves, and have open dialogue with others. Social networking sites like Tumblr carry the expectations of sociability, therefore it is no surprise that virtual communities emerge within them. 

A benefit of this community is the open opportunity to find solutions to issues members of the group may face. In this clip Natalie Portman co-presents the award for Best Director at the Golden Globes. A category with all male nominees, snubbing the director of Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy winner Lady Bird, Greta Gerwing. Tweets, posts, and comments flooded the internet in support of Portman’s choice of words in presenting. Most of them pledging to stand to call out the “ugly truths of everyday life”. 

A hazard of creating this community is the vulnerability of the online venue. Open online communities are susceptible to online attacks, harassment and bullying. The unfortunate truth of the internet is that there are individuals out there who will seek out those they don’t agree with and try to silence them through intimidation.  

However, the overwhelming support and empowerment from the community outweighs the negative. Which is why online communities developed through hashtags, groups and conversations are so important. They give members the opportunity to connect, express and be a part of something bigger. 

Papacharissi, Zizi. A Networked Self : Identity, Community and Culture on Social Network Sites . New York: Routledge; 2011.

Natalie Portman did THAT at the 2018 Golden Globes

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The 2018 Golden globes will forever go down as a night of reckoning for Hollywood and the birth of the #Time’s up. 

In this GIF set my favorite one is Elisabeth Moss accepting her Golden Globe. She says “We no longer live in the blank white spaces at the edge of print. We no longer live in the gaps between stores. We are the story in print and we are writing the stories itself.” Moss’s statement perfectly sums up how women are becoming the heroines of this society. Time’s Up is about taking back the narrative of women around the world. Its for every women that has ever been abused and has endured the pain of being silenced. Its for a better today, tomorrow, and future for  a world in which tolerance is no longer accepted.

This hashtag has created an online community, impacted society, built relationships and more. Without the power of digital technology however, none of this would have been achievable. Movements and technology go hand and hand, without one the other would not be as powerful. Technology may give power to movements, but movements give meaning to technology. 

#Timesup #DCIM #SelfandSociety 

Favorite moments of the Golden Globes 2018

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Silence is not the price you have to pay for your survival anymore. Speak. Scream. Roar.

Nikita Gill, Times Up

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SOURCES

https://twitter.com/TIMESUPHC/status/1123618082147028992

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd0l7n0nkBy/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=oaqgyew7jb0

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hksc5yPUxbs

Renninger, Bryce J. “Where I can be myself … where I can speak my mind” : Networked counterpublics in a polymedia environment. New Media & Society. 2015;17(9):1513-1529. doi:10.1177/1461444814530095

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdqFB9WBmWs/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=hdps4q3islex

https://twitter.com/shannonrwatts/status/950162627568705537

https://twitter.com/TIMESUPHC/status/677789090972111189

Papacharissi, Zizi. A Networked Self : Identity, Community and Culture on Social Network Sites . New York: Routledge; 2011.

Janelle Monae says #TimesUp!

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Introductory Post!

Hi my name is Samantha Douglas and I am a junior majoring in Communication and minoring in Organizational Leadership and Digital Communication, Information, and Media. The hashtag I have chosen to study for the Self and Society course project is #Timesup. It has been a little bit over a year since Hollywood stars took a stand against the systemic inequality and injustice in the workplace at the 2018 Golden Globes. Stars donned black and wore “Time’s Up” pins with pride and perseverance. I’m interested in seeing the progress of the movement in the past year and the impact of the promises made by many high profile celebrities. I personally think that in the past year the culture and how we handle cases of sexual harassment and misconduct has drastically transformed so I’m interested to see how this movement helped propel this change.