#MeToo: The Harm and Limitations of Social Media in Modern Activism

• Main Author: Roberts, Yasmin
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2019
• Subjects: #MeToo Movement; Social Media; Activism; Celebrity; Other Film and Media Studies
• Online Access: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/1255; https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2350&context=scripps_theses

In our current internet-driven society, social media platforms act as the most central tool for communication and social activism. Through my observations of the #MeToo movement, I argue that despite success in visibility, external factors stemming from social media have prevented the movement’s development beyond online platforms. These factors include Slacktivism, the online presence and power of celebrities, and popular feminism and it’s commodification. Considering that the #MeToo movement is ongoing, my observations of the movement thus far aim to answer the question if social media based movements, such as #MeToo, will produce any structural change within and beyond the entertainment industry.