#yearinhashtags: The @globeandmail’s complete series on 2011’s biggest social media stories
Social media played a significant role in many of the major news events in 2011. As the year comes to a close, The Globe and Mail’s #yearinhashtags project examines the impact social media had on five of the year’s biggest stories. Below is the complete series.
#egypt
After one man’s protest, a global torrent of message saw dictators fall
Without social media, Mohamed Bouazizi’s suicide would have likely been a lone rebellion. Instead, it set off protests in previously silent capitals that morphed into million-man marches that ultimately led to the toppling of four dictators, dramatically reconfiguring the world in the space of a single year. Read more
#winning
Charlie Sheen’s Twitter antics redefined celebrity microblogging
This time last year, Charlie Sheen probably thought hashtag was a game where you chased the guy carrying the drugs. He learned quickly, though, with a little help, and #tigerblood, the cryptic hashtag he coined, became the second-most popular of 2011. He also popularized “#winning,” which was seized on by his millions of followers and opportunistic retailers from Target to McDonald’s. Read more
#canucksriot
When rioters trashed Vancouver, Twitter fanned the flames – and gathered the evidence
As the clock ticked down on the Vancouver Canucks’ run to the Stanley Cup final, Dave Teixeira’s focus wasn’t on the barroom television broadcasting Game 7. His eyes were glued to Twitter. The owner of communications firm Dave.ca spied some troubling tweets. More than 150,000 people had gathered downtown to watch the game on a giant outdoor television and reports of violence were pouring in with messages like, “It’s getting bad downtown. Fans flipping cars, #Canucks jerseys being burned.” Massive fights were also breaking out, and bottles and bricks were being hurled at overwhelmed police. Read more
#occupywallstreet
Canadian activists put out a simple Twitter hashtag: #OccupyWallStreet. After that, ‘it just went crazy’
The genesis of Occupy Wall Street can be traced back to a group of Canadian activists and a picture of a ballerina poised atop a charging bull. Fuelled by millions of mostly young protesters around the world, the Occupy Wall Street movement has not only redefined the terms of the debate around income inequality, but also revolutionized the very act of protest. Despite almost no hierarchy, the largely unco-ordinated protesters around the world have managed to speak in a much more unified voice, thanks in large part to social-media outlets – especially Twitter. Read more
#itgetsbetter
For gay teens, words of understanding and support on YouTube
Here’s the life cycle of a typical viral video: It’s uploaded to YouTube, picked up by a high-traffic site such as BoingBoing and then shared widely on Twitter, Facebook and corporate e-mail. Traffic soars and after a few weeks, or sometimes even days, it flat-lines. We’ve all seen them: mildly amusing, occasionally shocking, ultimately forgettable. But a funny thing happened when sex columnist Dan Savage uploaded a video he created with his long-time partner Terry: YouTube became an agent for grassroots social change. Read more
