#blacklivesmatter🚫

[qanh8flow]

Week 3: Is Twitter a Modern Public Sphere? Examining Habermas in the Digital Age

Can social media truly serve as a public sphere where open discussion thrives, or is it an illusion of free speech controlled by algorithms and corporations?

The concept of the public sphere, first introduced by Jürgen Habermas (1989), refers to a space where individuals can come together, engage in rational debate, and influence public opinion. Traditionally, coffee houses and newspapers were the hubs of intellectual discussions. Today, platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook have taken on this role. But do they really foster democracy and free speech? Or do corporate control, misinformation, and bias limit their effectiveness?

The Digital Public Sphere: Opportunities & Limitations

💡 Social Media as a Modern Public Sphere

Platforms like Twitter enable global conversations on important issues such as politics, climate change, and human rights. Hashtag activism, including movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, has empowered marginalized voices (Bonilla & Rosa, 2015). These movements gained traction because they provided a space for open debate that traditional media outlets often ignore.

🛑 Challenges to the Digital Public Sphere

However, unlike Habermas' ideal public sphere, social media is controlled by private corporations that prioritize engagement over truth.

Algorithmic Bias 🤖 – Twitter and Facebook amplify sensationalist and polarizing content over factual, rational discussions (Vaidhyanathan, 2018).

Censorship & Misinformation 🚫 – Social media companies have the power to remove posts or shadow-ban accounts that don't align with their policies (MacKinnon, 2012).

Corporate Control 🏦 – Twitter, owned by Elon Musk, has been criticized for its selective moderation policies, sparking debates about who decides what is free speech (Gillespie, 2018).

📌 Example: Twitter's Role in the Arab Spring During the Arab Spring (2010-2012), Twitter was hailed as a tool of democracy, allowing activists to spread information and mobilize protests. However, governments also used these platforms for surveillance and disinformation (Tufekci, 2017).

Social media provides unprecedented access to political discussion, but corporate interests and biases prevent it from being a true public sphere. The question remains: Can digital platforms evolve into a space of true democratic discourse, or are they forever tied to profit-driven agendas?

📌 Multimedia for Tumblr

✅ Watch this video explaining Habermas' public sphere in 5 minutes. ✅ Embed a Twitter thread discussing free speech debates on social media.

References

Bonilla, Y. & Rosa, J. (2015). "Hashtag Activism and the Racial Politics of Social Media." American Ethnologist, 42(1), pp. 4-18.

Gillespie, T. (2018). Custodians of the Internet: Platforms, Content Moderation, and the Hidden Decisions That Shape Social Media. Yale University Press.

Habermas, J. (1989). The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. MIT Press.

MacKinnon, R. (2012). Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle for Internet Freedom. Basic Books.

Tufekci, Z. (2017). Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. Yale University Press.

Vaidhyanathan, S. (2018). Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy. Oxford University Press.

[hey-its-haliee]

[W5: I called dibs! Breaking news: Hashtag Activism - A tale of two tales]

Guys, I think we might be club snubbed...

Ah the internet... it's not just where we scroll—it’s where we exist. From calling out injustice to fueling trends, our digital lives don’t just reflect reality—they shape it. But being online isn’t enough. Digital citizenship means knowing the game: our rights, responsibilities, and the fact that platforms don’t just connect us—they control the conversation. They shape political engagement, amplify movements, and turn hashtags into rallying cries.

The question is: We’re louder than ever—but are we really being heard? 👻

Or are we just playing by the algorithm’s rules?😱

1. CTRL + Hustle: Clicktivism in Action?

_Hashtags: Raising Voices or Just Raising Eyebrows? 

Hashtag activism is the internet’s megaphone, rallying millions with a single click. Movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo have driven protests, influenced policies, and reshaped cultural conversations.

But but but but! Hear me out.

_Trending Today, Forgotten Tomorrow: Who’s Playing Who?

A viral moment isn’t always a revolution—it can just be digital theatre wrapped in pixels. Sure, social media can raise awareness at lightning speed, but keeping that momentum? That’s where things get messy.

As Cooper (2023) cites Muslic (2017):  "Social media is highly efficient at raising awareness as well as funds. However, the Internet is also incredibly fast-paced, so support for campaigns is usually short-lived.”

Sound familiar? One minute, your feed is flooded with activism, and the next, it’s back to cat memes and influencer drama. The algorithm moves on, and—let’s be real—so do most people.

_Click, Clout and Collapsed: The Internet’s 30-Minute Revolution

As you might have guessed, this does not go according to plan…

Before TikTok made activism trendy, there was Kony 2012—the campaign that turned a Ugandan warlord into the internet’s ultimate villain. It was the viral moment of 2012, with celebrities, influencers, and even your high school history teacher jumping on the bandwagon.

(Harris 2012)

(Hodgson 2012)

The result?

🚀 100 million views in six days.

The outcome?

🚫Not Kony’s arrest

…just a collective case of slacktivism burnout and the campaign’s leader having a very public meltdown. It was the ultimate reality check: the internet can make someone famous overnight, but justice? That’s a different story.

...

And nope, in case you were wondering—Joseph Kony was never arrested (#That Never Happened) Despite becoming the world’s most wanted man (at least online), he slipped through the cracks. The Ugandan military gave up the search in 2017, the U.S. packed its bags, and Kony? Well, he’s still out there, somewhere…He might have faded from our feeds, but reality? Not so much.

_Algorithm decides!

But not all movements get the same red carpet. Kony 2012 was pushed; #FreePalestine was punished. Activists face shadowbans, deletions, and content blocks. Turns out, platforms don’t just boost activism—they filter it. If the algorithm isn’t on your side… does your movement even stand a chance? But this wasn’t just a #FreePalestine problem—it was a system problem.

And someone saw this coming.

_The Internet’s Unbothered Prophet 

Meet Zeynep Tufekci - the internet’s only sane person. She didn’t just call it—she practically had a crystal ball. 

Tufekci tried to warn us, but did we listen? Nope. (We should have) She wasn’t just skeptical—she saw the design flaw in digital activism. Platforms don’t just amplify voices; they engineer movements for engagement. The system thrives on outrage, not outcomes. And guess what? The algorithm always wins. 

Virality isn’t victory. A video trends, we tear up, smash the share button, and think we’re dismantling war crimes from our dorm rooms.

…Can we do better?

2. #PaveTheWay: From Tweets to Streets

_Viral with a Vengeance: Finally, We Grew a Backbone

Not all hashtag activism is performative noise. Some movements bridge the gap between digital and real-world action. Enter #NiUnaMenos.

Born in Argentina in 2015, #NiUnaMenos (“Not One Less”) started as a viral feminist movement against gender-based violence. It evolved into real-world protests, pushed for legal reforms, and led to stronger anti-gender violence laws.

Similarly, the #GeorgeFloyd protests also kept the fire going - it turned a viral video into a global uprising, forcing a reckoning on police brutality and racial justice—proving that hashtag activism CAN work, and in fact, it’s a powerful tool…

...Just make sure the internet doesn’t move on before the “real-life” work is done.

Final thoughts: Beyond the Scrolling, Screaming and Sharing

A tweet can trend. A movement can shake things up. But real change? That takes more than 280 characters. The fight doesn’t stop when the algorithm moves on—The question is, will you?

References:

Basu, M 2012, ‘As criticism surfaces, “KONY 2012” gains momentum faster than Susan Boyle’, CNN, viewed 15 February 2025, .

Cooper, K 2023, The Effectiveness of Online Activism: Who it is Effective For, What Issues it is Effective For, and What Time Period it is Effective For, Thesis, University at Albany, State University of New York, p. 17, viewed .

Harris, P 2012, ‘Kony 2012 organisers plan massive day of action across US cities’, The Guardian, viewed .

Hodgson, S 2012, ‘“Kony 2012” Video Illustrates the Power of Simplicity’, The New York Times, viewed .

[kaka-laux]

Mais uma ação afirmativa e inclusiva, buscando oferecer igualdade de oportunidades a todos. E a luta segue✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🏹 #FridaysForFuture🕊 #RacismoEstrutural🇧🇷 #BlackLivesMatter🧔🏿 #BolsonarismoMATA💀 #BolsonaroNaCadeia👺 #BolsonaroOdeiaPobres😡 #BolsonaroRACISTA🚫 #Bol卐onaroLixoDaHistória📖🗑 (em Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/CivbHJVPR1_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[munichasia]

More demos in Munich ❤ Germany. ✊🏿🪧📢👍 This time against deportations and corruption at Karlsplatz Stachus. To stand in solidarity with the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement and all the refugees who are fighting for their rights. Reason. Because in Germany, Sierra Leoneans are currently summoned to identify themselves. People are identified as Sierra Leoneans on the basis of skin color, language, dialect, etc. They will then be issued with a travel document. What do you think about it? . . #blacklivesmatter #nodeportation #saynotoracism #saynotoracism🚫 #hateracism #fightracism #againstracism #munichlove #munich_germany #monacodibaviera #munichcity #munichphotographer #schönstestadtderwelt #germany_fotos #germanyphotography #exploregermany #antennebayern #travelpicoftheday #travelculture #createxplore #reisenistschön #travelandbeyond #traveltheworldtoday #destination_wow #germanytravel #germanytrip #discovergermany #travelpicsinsta #cityshots #street_visions (at Karlsplatz München) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVQ9raWMBai/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sebtember5]

All human beings are born equal in dignity and rights. Each of us has an obligation to speak out and stand up to #EndRacsim ❌ Coming from a country with so much racism so when Seb and Lewis started the fight in F1 I actually cried because somehow someway they’re standing for me..but not only me‼️, Last year We saw them leading the path for all those who know what Racism is..not just a word to use❗️they both accountable for fighting this discrimination ✊🏻 On this #InternationalDayAgainstRacism I stand up against racial prejudice, in solidarity with oppressed people all over the world, racism & state violence must end and it won’t unless you start with you own self❗️    • • • • • • • 📸: @motorsportcom , @motorsporttotalcom 🚫 do not take any of the content I post without crediting this page copyrights thing you know 😉🚫 ~~~~~~~~~ #IAMF1 #EndRacs ~~~~~~~~~ #SebastianVettel #Vettel #F1 #Seb5 #BlackLivesMatter #AstonMartinF1 #MickSchumacher #Vettelheim #SebInGreen #AMR21 #SkyMotori #LH44 #Formel1 #lewishamilton #f1Vintage #LanceStroll #AMFactory #Weltmeister #MotorsportsF1 #F1Familiy #F1news #F1racing #F1memes #F1meme #F1jokes #Racing ~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer: This account is an unofficial fan account and is in no way affiliated with Sebastian Vettel or his representation. All copyrighted material is the property of it's respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. n-profit, entertainment-only purposes. No copyright infringement is intended. (at STAND UP, SPEAK OUT and SHINE) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMrr43NBqdn/?igshid=wja07dmuai8i

[nedved790]

🚫LES 4 CHOSES QUE L’ON DOIT PROBABLEMENT ÉVITER POUR ÊTRE HEUREUX !!! En effet, le bonheur se travaille ; il est donc indispensable d’écarter certaines attitudes nocives pour avancer vers le bien-être... swipe the photos from right to left, or from top to bottom to read a little more about the article! I trust you guys... 👌 @nedved_790 @p.mavs_lartiste_80 @revue_promesses @princheros @baarisjay @lema3592 @rageincstudios #BlackLivesMatter #Weekends #godbless #BackandProd #Day #Mood #MentalHealth (à À Kinshasa) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkBTxDVtslG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[wut-eskom-sorry-eskom-solutions]

I'm not going 🚫 to be posting all the loadshedding schedules and locations etc. And moaning about how it's affecting my business, my family, my date planned or my wedding, planned well ahead.

Contingencies, people. Or contingency planning helps. I've noticed, though, that people are at a loss. Do we live in a country of morons? C'mon guyz, it's really simple.

Crime is rampant in South Africa. Further afield, it's even worse. At R4 000 a bangle (a massive rubber covered metre, metre and a half length and a width as thick as a thigh, many house-breakers, car-jackers, pick-pockets and shoplifters are turning to doing "the copper thing".

Characteristically, you are always going to have pitch black hands, face and clothing from contact. Burnt, burst, electrocuted hands is also a down side. So is sawing one of these bangles whilst power is still surging through it. I've been shocked at a plug point and it hurts every time it happens. We're talking 3-phase power surges. The kinds that will push you a few metres away, if it's suddenly switched off. I know the allure. A couple of tens of thousands for a night's work. I also know the very many cons of this illicit trade.

1. Other thieves, thugs and hustlers happen to bump into you, after already having finished the job. Whilst moving the copper to a safe location to strip with scalpel-sharp blades or put on a HOT, HOT, HOT fire. Wheelie bins, crates, and plastic chairs are normally needed for this process of burning the rubber off the copper. Now you know why your wheelie bin always goes missing and why The City of Cape Town has started charging R1 500 for a (chipped with a locator) new wheelie bin, after yours has disappeared. Be smart, keep it inside your yard. But if you do that, be sure to give out food, unwanted stuff and monetary Thanks-for-not-jumping-my-wall and Taking-my-wheelie-bin gratuities. This will hold you in good stead with the local "Vagabonds In Power" (a Fela Kuti song).

Honestly, there are very few jobs out there and honestly, most of us criminally-inclined have too much Wisdom-of-the-world to risk my human rights and the freedom of African time. Also, we possess far too much fiscal ambition to work for anyone raking in the fat of my labour, the sweetness of the sweat of my brow.

No, slavery, Apartheid and just everyday, garden variety inequality has stolen too much from your regular, willing to take on any task African; provided the profits or a fair portion thereof is his. As a woman, who has been unmasked; not the viper I made myself out to be and threatened everyone's life and limb with, I feel a similar exhaustion; explaining my success, capabilities and place on the food chain. #blacklivesmatter is but one facet of this global, millenia-long sainthood of the darker-skinned.

Sainthood? If not, some should be canonized, whilst living, just for the non-murderous approach to our consistent White Stupidity, Selfishness and Seediness.

[iconsiderafricansocietydotcom]

I'm not going 🚫 to be posting all the loadshedding schedules and locations etc. And moaning about how it's affecting my business, my family, my date planned or my wedding, planned well ahead.

Contingencies, people. Or contingency planning helps. I've noticed, though, that people are at a loss. Do we live in a country of morons? C'mon guyz, it's really simple.

Crime is rampant in South Africa. Further afield, it's even worse. At R4 000 a bangle (a massive rubber covered metre, metre and a half length and a width as thick as a thigh, many house-breakers, car-jackers, pick-pockets and shoplifters are turning to doing "the copper thing".

Characteristically, you are always going to have pitch black hands, face and clothing from contact. Burnt, burst, electrocuted hands is also a down side. So is sawing one of these bangles whilst power is still surging through it. I've been shocked at a plug point and it hurts every time it happens. We're talking 3-phase power surges. The kinds that will push you a few metres away, if it's suddenly switched off. I know the allure. A couple of tens of thousands for a night's work. I also know the very many cons of this illicit trade.

1. Other thieves, thugs and hustlers happen to bump into you, after already having finished the job. Whilst moving the copper to a safe location to strip with scalpel-sharp blades or put on a HOT, HOT, HOT fire. Wheelie bins, crates, and plastic chairs are normally needed for this process of burning the rubber off the copper. It is always identified by the pungent, tyrey, chemical smell accompanied by a thick, black, ribbed cloud of smoke locating your hearth to anyone within 50kms.

Now you know why your wheelie bin always goes missing and why The City of Cape Town has started charging R1 500 for a (chipped with a locator) new wheelie bin, after yours has disappeared. Be smart, keep it inside your yard. But if you do that, be sure to give out food, unwanted stuff and monetary Thanks-for-not-jumping-my-wall and Taking-my-wheelie-bin gratuities. This will hold you in good stead with the local "Vagabonds In Power" (a Fela Kuti song).

Honestly, there is very few jobs out there and honestly, most of us criminally-inclined have too much Wisdom-of-the-world to risk my human rights and the freedom of African time. Also, we possess far too much fiscal ambition to work for anyone raking in the fat of my labour, the sweetness of the sweat of my brow.

No, slavery, Apartheid and just everyday garden variety inequality has stolen too much from your regular, willing to take on any task African; provided the profits or a fair portion thereof is his. As a woman, who has been unmasked - not the viper I made myself out to be and threatened everyone's life and limb with, I feel a similar exhaustion of explaining my s byuccess, capabilities and place on the food chain. #blacklivesmatter is but one facet of this global, millenia-long sainthood of the darker-skinned.

Sainthood? If not, some should be canonized, whilst living, just for the non-murderous approach to our consistent White Stupidity, Selfishness and Seediness.

[onyahey]

Still Black. ✊🏾✊🏿✊🏽 Still Pansexual. 🥺🌈 Still engaged. 💎💍 Still in my own bubble. 🐱🦋 Still recovering. 🚫🆘 Still tryna make sense of this life. 🪐 Still. I’m growing. Even though I’m 25 I️ still can’t say that I’m grown. Because I️ don’t feel grown. I️ feel myself growing. I️ feel myself transforming. It’s a constant. Every new peace of information I️ take in I️ let it marinate. I️ question. I️ wish more people questioned everything including themselves. Not in a combative way, in a knowledge seeking way. In a empathic way. Wishing is useful. Prayer is useful. A spell is useful. They’re all moving, shifting, guiding energy. A magic we can’t see yet feel. Black lives matter. Black trans lives matter. Blackness matters. link in bio to support. ✊🏿✊🏽✊🏾 #blacklivesmatter #blacktranslivesmatter #blackwomenmatter #blackmenmatter #blackgirlmagic #blacklove #blackfamily #protest #blm #pride https://www.instagram.com/p/CBjAOMwpKkl/?igshid=ino9ayb301f6

[starkelz1]

🗣IF WE KEEPING IT AUTHENTIC &&& GENUINE FOR THE REST OF #2020KLEAN HERE'S THE 1ST STEP... #TRUTHINPLAINSIGHT🤔 ... #blacklivesmatter🚫 ... #georgesoros ... #PLANDEMIC #billgates #COVID19 #falseflags "THAT CRAP AIN'T GONNA FLY PERIOD" ...!!! SORRY BUT NOT SORRY ... WE AREN'T THAT QUIET GENERATION...!!! #BLACK IGNORANCE IS A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY... !!! #unplugfromthematrix🔌💻 #blackboule🚫 ... #reach1teach2save3🗣🤝👌 ... #researcheverything ... #TemetNosce = #KnowThyself ... #SCIENTIAESTPOTENTIA = #KNOWLEDGEISPOWER ... #enlightenedconsciousness ... #awakening ... #awareness #ConsciousArrival ... #illuminated1🌠 ... @pilarsanders 🥀🥀🥀 #3rdeyeopen👁🦉 @nas @icecube @wakaflocka #moorishhistoryisworldhistory🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦🇲🇦 #NobleDrewAli ...🖤❤💚... #MarcusGarvey ... #afraidforwhat🤔💘🥀💯... 🎙🎤 ( the mic is Hott) @troubleman31 @nickcannon @nba @nbaonespn @nbaontnt @nbatv @kingjames @shannonsharpe84 @stephenasmith @espn @espnnfl @wnba @shaq https://www.instagram.com/p/CEFwv6lnHrsv2gUx-57UCcNjB--p3kY1_oOfQM0/?igshid=ozgq7pllzo3s

[kaka-laux]

Advancing the Right to Health for People of African Descent⤵ #InternationalDayforPeopleOfAfricanDescent🌍 #BlackLivesMatter🧔🏿 #DefendTheDefenders✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🏹 #RacismoEstrutural🇧🇷 #ForaBolsonaroRACISTA🚫 #ForaBolsonaroESeuDesgovernoCorruptoEGenocida💸💀☠️ (em Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch7YStCrjwc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kaka-laux]

Chega ao fim mais uma ação afirmativa, buscando oferecer igualdade de oportunidades a todos. E a luta segue✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🏹 #FridaysForFuture🕊 #RacismoEstrutural🇧🇷 #BlackLivesMatter🧔🏿 #BolsonarismoMATA💀 #BolsonaroNaCadeia👺 #BolsonaroOdeiaPobres😡 #BolsonaroRACISTA🚫 #Bol卐onaroLixoDaHistória📖🗑 (em Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChvhO-CLIuW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kaka-laux]

#TBT🔙📸 Working hard to expand the table for racial and gender equity #RacismoEstrutural🇧🇷 #BlackLivesMatter🧔🏿 #Misogyny♀ #BolsonarismoMATA💀 #BolsonaroNaCadeia🚫 #BolsonaroOdeiaMulheres♀ #BolsonaroOdeiaPobres😡 #BolsonaroRacista✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🏹 #Bol卐onaroLixoDaHistória📖🗑 (em Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/Chr4QOfLFV0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kaka-laux]

August 23rd is the International day for the Remembrance of the SlavebTrade and its Abolition #BlackLivesMatter🧔🏿 #VidasPretasImportam✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽👊🏿 #RacismoEstrutural🇧🇷 #BolsonaroRACISTA🚫 #VamosJuntosPeloBrasil✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🇧🇷 (em Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChnQ0CgP4Gf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kaka-laux]

Comprendre l'humain, c'est comprendre son unité dans la diversité et sa diversité dans l'unité #FridaysForFuture🕊 #BlackLivesMatter🧔🏿 #DefendTheDefenders✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻🏹 #RacismoEstrutural🇧🇷 #ForaBolsonaroRACISTA🚫 #ForaBolsonaroESeuDesgovernoCorruptoEGenocida💸💀☠️ (em Brazil) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChdGf2uPXg-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=