Transcending Instagram: Affective Swedish hashtags taking intimate feminist entanglements from viral to ‘IRL’

Abstract

This article investigates how affective hashtags on Instagram can contribute to forming intimate feminist entanglements transcending the digital sphere, resulting in offline demonstrations and rallies. In tracing the use of three Swedish hashtags emerging in the wake of #metoo, all surrounding women’s experiences with sexual harassment and violence, it is argued that affective hashtags can be a central component for explaining how social media-based campaigns can surpass online spaces and transition into more traditional forms of non-mediated feminist activity. Drawing from a 3-year immersion in feminist communities on Instagram, the article shows how hashtags here are reconceptualized into ‘affect triggers’, intimately entangling human and nonhuman entities along the way. It is suggested that a combination of feminist affect theory and insights from science and technology studies (STS) may offer a fruitful methodology for providing insights into the political potential of affect in forming augmented feminist realities.

The Impact of Instagram on Feminist Activism

“…Hashtags on Instagram serve as a unifying thread, allowing users with shared interests and beliefs to converge and engage in meaningful conversations. For instance, campaigns like #MeToo and #TimesUp have brought together survivors, activists, and allies to share their stories and demand an end to gender-based violence [1]. The influential symbol that represents the collective cries of sexual harassment and assault survivors is the hashtag #MeToo.…”

“…Instagram, as one of the most influential social media platforms, has emerged as a significant tool for feminist activism. One of the examples is the #MeToo movement on Instagram represents a pivotal moment in contemporary feminist activism, sparking a global conversation on the pervasive issue of sexual harassment and assault [1]. Instagram provided a crucial platform for survivors and advocates to share their stories, creating a powerful collective voice that shattered silence and stigma.…”