#ShoutYourAbortion: Activism and Digital Platforms

Donna Wielinga 10561005 New Media and Digital Culture University of Amsterdam

Supervisor: Tim Highfield Second reader: Sabine Niederer 20.921 words 25-06-2018

Abstract This study explores how digital platforms enable . For this study a cross- platform analysis is applied to Instagram and and a social media content analysis is carried out for examining the user-generated content of #ShoutYourAbortion as well as the content posted by the organization of the movement. This study shows the differences in use and content between the platforms for the individual participants as well as the movement.

Keywords: hashtag activism, digital platforms, Instagram, Twitter, user-generated content

2 Table of contents

I. Shouting 5

II. Platforms 9 2.1 Two platforms: Twitter and Instagram 9 2.2 Platform vernacular 11

III. #ShoutYourAbortion & online activism 14 3.1 Social network sites 14 3.2 Storytelling for activism 15 3.3 Origin of the hashtag 16 3.4 Hashtag activism and digital 18 3.5 Discursive change 21 3.6 Historical development of the movement 22

IV. Affordances 24 4.1 Twitter: Micro-blogging 24 4.2 Instagram: Focus on visual content 26

V. #ShoutYourAbortion users’ stories 30 5.1 Twitter: user-generated content 30 5.1.1 Personal supporting and encouragement 30 5.1.2 Resisting providers and movements 33 5.1.3 Announcing and informing 36

5.2 Instagram: user-generated content 37 5.2.1 Selfies, photographs and social sharing 38 5.2.2 Shocks and fake facts for resisting 42 5.2.3 Offline art for online activism 45

VI. #ShoutYourAbortion movement stories 49 6.1 Twitter: @ShoutYrAbortion 49 6.1.1 Retweeting and link sharing 49

3 6.2 Instagram: @ 53 6.2.1 Pictures of people and textual images 53

VII. #ShoutYourAbortion as digital activism 57 7.1 #ShoutYourAbortion: Movement 57 7.2 #ShoutYourAbortion: Users 60 7.3 Hashtag activism and digital platforms 62

VIII. From digital initiatives to physical changes 65

4 I. Shouting abortions

Image 1: screenshot from Bust taken on 13-03-2018.

In 2015, the #ShoutYourAbortion movement was sparked by Amelia Bonow who posted a message on her page regarding her (Smith n.p.). At that time Bonow was just an American graduated student (‘Amelia Bonow’ n.p.) but her Facebook post went viral and since then her life was changed. In the Facebook message she explains how well she was treated during the abortion procedure at . Her reason for posting the message was not to talk about the level of care she received, but to go up against the people who want to defund Planned Parenthood (Smith n.p.). By posting the message about her abortion, she opposes the assumption “that abortion is still something to be whispered about” (Ibid.). This assumption is the narrative where the defund of Planned Parenthood relies upon. In her post Bonow continues by stating that a lot of people are still believing in that narrative and she wants to change this with #ShoutYourAbortion. She explains she has started this project with Kimberly Morrison to change the common thought of women needing to be sad, ashamed or full of regret after an abortion. Bonow stated: “Why shouldn’t I be happy that I was not forced to become a mother?” (Ibid.). American writer and activist shared the post with the hashtag ShoutYourAbortion. A day later West posted her own story 1regarding her abortion on Twitter, received many likes and retweets, and from that moment on the movement began to develop (Image 1). Since then Bonow has won several awards, including the Planned Parenthood of Illinois awards and has been published in The Huffington Post amongst others (Ibid.). Almost three years after the Facebook post, the hashtag, the movement and the goal are still relevant and actively used. Discussing abortion is a topic that has been taboo for years. Even until this day, women are still struggling to speak up about their abortion. According to research from the Kantar TNS Nederland (a Dutch opinion research agency), Dutch people

1 https://bust.com/feminism/14769-shout-your-abortion-founder-amelia-bonow-talks-going-viral-fighting-trolls-bust-interview.html

5 advocate for abortion. However, they advocate for abortion only when the woman is raped or when her life is jeopardized due to the pregnancy (‘Praten over abortus blijft taboe’). Discussing abortion is important not only for personal healing, moreover, it needs to be done in order to protect and respect women’s rights. As Rachel Jacobson from Women’s Health Coalition states: “Stigma breeds silence. And the vacuum created by that silence, what stories get told, what policies get made?” (Jacobson n.p.). The women of the #ShoutYourAbortion chose to use social media in order to fight the stigma, break the silence and change the narrative regarding abortions. Abortion has been the topic of debate for centuries globally. The laws and politics regarding abortion have a long history. At the end of the nineteenth century, abortion was illegal in almost all countries (Berer 13). This was due to different reasons: the abortions were unsafe and jeopardizing the life of the women, the abortions were seen as immoral and the law protected fetal life by prohibiting abortions life (Ibid.). Over the years, these original reasons for not supporting abortions have changed. Nowadays, the procedure of abortions is safe and are not seen as illegal by law in most countries (23). However, this does not mean everyone supports abortion procedures and laws. The changing of the abortion law to legalisation has costs years of work and support. An important factor of this change are not only the advocates who are dedicated to this topic in court, but also allies such as parliamentarians, human rights groups and most of all the women themselves (Ibid.). The laws have changed, but unfortunately the stigma regarding abortion has not. In order to de-stigmatize abortions, different allies should work together for the purpose of giving women the opportunity to openly discuss their abortion. And with the help of social media, we might be one step closer. In recent years, social media have been used frequently by online (feminist) movements for discussing – sensitive – topics such as sexual harassment, and abortion. The #MeToo movement uses social media to raise awareness and map how many women (and men) have experienced abuse and harassment in any way. The hashtag has been used by people online to spread their personal stories regarding sexual harassment. Their mission is to de-stigmatize the survivors and helping them heal (‘Me Too’). The #EverydaySexism movement aims to take a step towards gender equality by collecting stories of sexism to show sexism still exists and is very much alive (‘About’). The #SayHerName movement uses Twitter to raise consciousness for the death of black women and demands of action for victims of violence (Brown et. al 1841). These online protests by movements demonstrate the power of digital activism in influencing the public discourse (Yang 13). By spreading and reading the victims’ stories of everyday sexism, sexual harassment and actions of violence, people get the idea that they are not the only

6 ones with those experiences. The feeling of collectiveness and possibility to come forward with these stories are contributing to de-stigmatizing certain topics. Moreover, all these individuals contribute to the collective message by sharing their personal stories. The aforementioned are all researched in different studies, however, no research regarding #ShoutYourAbortion was found. This subject of this study is relevant and important to study, because it shows how the times are changing. Online movements such as #ShoutYourAbortion are providing new options through digital platforms for women to fight the battles they have fought for years. While this study is focussed on the #ShoutYourAbortion movement, a movement that is active for three years, another movement regarding abortions has recently emerged: Repeal the 8th. This movement is started by the coalition of pro-choice groups in Ireland and the Abortion Rights Campaign (‘Petition: Repeal the 8th). They started a petition to repeal the Eight Amendment that “criminalises abortion in all cases except where to continue a pregnancy would result in death” (Ibid.). Thus, women cannot get abortions or abortion pills in Ireland legally. This leads to women unable to travel being forced to proceed with their unwanted or unhealthy pregnancy and illegal abortions under unsafe circumstances. On the 25th of May, the referendum in Ireland resulted in 66 percent voting ‘yes’, allowing the government to change the laws regarding abortions (‘It's Yes: Ireland has voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment’ n.pag.). The Irish government is proposing to legislate abortion is cases where “there is a risk of the life of the woman, a medical emergency or a fatal foetal abnormality, or up to 12 weeks without justification” (Kelly n.pag.). The Repeal the 8th movement shows how online effort results in offline results. Even though this study does not further include the Repeal the 8th movement, it is the showing the relevance and impact of digital activist movements regarding topics such as abortions. Moreover, it demonstrates how the discussion surrounding abortions continues to stay relevant and how digital movements and abortions are needed subjects to study. Another reason why abortion continues to be an important subject to study is the current political situation in the of America, with President Donald Trump and his decisions regarding Planned Parenthood. During his presidency campaign, Trump claimed that he was “pro-life with some exceptions”. Last January, the president announced that “the fight to protect life was not over” (M.S.R. n.pag.). Trump followed up on his statement by signing a bill that gives states the permissions to withhold federal money from organizations that provide abortion services (Mercia n.pag.). The victims of the decisions made by Trump are powerless when it comes to changing the laws or directly interacting with the president, however, through the use of digital platforms, victims now have the opportunity to strike back against the president and his choices. It allows them to take action and fight for their rights. It

7 is important to map out how these online activist movements are using digital platforms and explore how the digital platforms are enabling hashtag activism to not only display how activism has changed throughout the years due to technology, but also how digital platforms are being repurposed for bigger purposes than just making friends online. The official movement as well as the individual users of #ShoutYourAbortion are using social media in different ways. Not only is the user-generated content of the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion important for the movement; the official pages of the movement ShoutYourAbortion are also sharing valuable content, such as the announcing of events or the sharing of stories of others. Therefore, this research will explore content and use of digital platforms of both to answer the question: How are digital platforms enabling hashtag activism? This research aims to shed light on how the official social network accounts of #ShoutYourAbortion as well as the individual contributions are using the platforms to de- stigmatize abortion. By exploring the differences between the two different platforms through affordances and content, this research will contribute to the field of digital platforms and hashtag activism. Moreover, this research will stand out due to the comparison between Twitter and Instagram in relation to the #ShoutYourAbortion movement, whereas, most studies only involve the exploration of one platform. It is important to keep investigating in topics such as abortions, to continue spreading awareness and raising attention to break the silence, and to respect and protect women’s rights. Moreover, to map out the use and process of hashtag activism and how the digital platforms enable this kind of activism to demonstrate the influence of digital platforms on matters of life and death.

Thus, the contemporary political situation of the United States of America, the active use of #ShoutYourAbortion by users and the current relevance of using digital platforms for activism is what builds the case for this study. This study aims to answer the question: How do digital platforms enable hashtag activism? The following section starts with discussing the method and will later on dive into the meaning of ‘platforms’.

8 II. Platforms 2.1 Two platforms: Twitter and Instagram In order to explore how digital platforms are enabling the hashtag activism of the #ShoutYourAbortion movement, the development of the movement is sketched based upon their website. This will provide an overview of how the movement has developed over time. The method for this part of the analysis will contain a content-analysis of the website https://shoutyourabortion.com. The website of Shout Your Abortion will be analysed of the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 with the use of the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. By providing a brief history of the movement according to their own website, the case study will be more relevant, hence it is providing an extra layer, an addition to the story of Shout Your Abortion. Subsequently, this study will perform a cross-platform and content analysis of Instagram and Twitter. The content analysis will include user-generated content of #ShoutYourAbortion and content posted by the official accounts of the #ShoutYourAbortion movement. The platforms Instagram and Twitter are chosen due to several reasons. First, both platforms are used actively by the movement. The movement is present and active by posting on a daily basis: thus, the digital platforms have an extensive amount of content. Second, the platforms are actively used by users for everyday discussions, political discussions and for activism. Moreover, #ShoutYourAbortion is used multiple times a day by individuals. Thus, the activity on the platforms by different actors show how these particular platforms have a key role in the movement and will therefore be selected for this study. Third, Twitter and Instagram have different affordances thus the movement and users will use these platforms in a different way. This makes it interesting to study both. For the cross-platform analysis the features and affordances of each platform will be explored. Affordances are meaningful when people decide how to use media for online sharing of personal stories (Choi & Toma 538). Moreover, they are a web of factors that affect people’s choice on how to share, when to share, when to react and with whom to share (Ibid.). People choose certain kinds of social media based on what those media afford them and how these affordances fulfil their psychological needs. These needs are accessibility, message visibility, availability of non-verbal cues and intrusiveness of immediate feedback and help (Ibid.). Thus, from this point of view, different needs would ask for different affordances, and therefore, would ask for different platforms or social network sites. For the content analysis, the chosen period of time is the same for both platforms, as well as for the official account content and user-generated content. This period starts at 1

9 February 2018 and continues until 1 March 2018. This period is selected due to the level of activity on both platforms: content is posted on a daily basis by the users as well as the movement. For the user-generated content analysis, the keyword #ShoutYourAbortion will be queried on both platforms. The dataset will be manually selected and analysed through the results of the query, and added to a spreadsheet. The categories will be conducted through an inductive matter and are based upon the function of the posts. For example, the posted content can be used for announcing events, supporting abortion experiences or resisting abortion. Subsequently, the accounts who post the content will also be analysed whether or not it is a personal account. By doing so, differences between actors using the #ShoutYourAbortion can be explored. On Instagram and Twitter, the visual as well as the textual content will be analysed. The second part of the analysis contains the content analysis of the #ShoutYourAbortion movement. This part will focus on what the organization posts on the digital platforms and the possible differences between the content on and the use of the two platforms. On the official website of #ShoutYourAbortion, their Twitter (@ShoutYrAbortion2) and Instagram account (@shoutyourabortion3) are linked. All posts and reposts uploaded by the accounts between the 1st of February until the 1st of March are included. The categorizing of the official content is based upon the question: where does the post draw attention to? For example, is the tweet drawing attention to the movement, is the retweet drawing attention to a personal story from a user or is the tweet drawing attention to third parties? The categories for this part of the analysis will therefore be: users’ content, movement content and third-party content. As mentioned in former sections, this study explores the content on Instagram and Twitter. Although, this study is aware of Facebook’s role and presence in certain hashtag activist movement (such as #MeToo), Facebook is not included in this study due to several reasons. First, the affordances of Facebook are making the platform unsuitable to be included: users can decide per post whether or not the post will be private or public (Highfield & Leaver n.pag.) This will limit the access to content. Second, the algorithm of the platform presents the results of #ShoutYourAbortion not in chronological order. This makes the content not usable for the content analysis, since it cannot be selected based on a specific time frame or period. Moreover, the unchronological order of results makes it impossible to recognize patterns or recurrent themes within the content. Third, according to Richard Rogers, some platforms are more suitable for cross-platform analysis than others. The presence of certain mutual elements,

2 https://twitter.com/ShoutYrAbortion 3 https://www.instagram.com/shoutyourabortion/

10 such as the hashtag and the “roughly similar cultures of use” are both important factors to decide which platforms will be selected for cross-platform analysis (Rogers 13). Rogers states, that Instagram and Twitter are often the subject of cross-platform analysis due to their mutual element and use of the hashtag (Ibid.). Thus, the choice has been made to follow Rogers and exclude Facebook. And last, the official website of #ShoutYourAbortion does not link to a Facebook page, only an Instagram and Twitter account can be found on their website. With this knowledge, it seems that the movement itself does not value Facebook as a platform that will add something meaningful for and to the movement and will therefore be left out of this study. Most of the dataset for this research contains public social media content: content that is posted by a social media account that can be publicly viewed. When using this kind of data, one should keep in mind the research ethics of this personal content, especially when the research discusses sensitive subjects, such as abortion. This study incorporates screenshots to provide examples and to support statements, however, the username and profile pictures of personal accounts are made unrecognizable and links to these posts are not included. The choice to make these pieces of information unrecognizable is due to various reasons. The main reason is the users are not personally asked for permission to use their public social media content in this study and most users are not aware of the fact that their content can be used for research purposes (Fiesler & Proferes 5). Moreover, the content can influence the users’ future by the possibility of being identified and related to certain statements and topics (2). Users give preference to being quoted anonymously in researches and emphasize the importance of the contextual factors of the research: they tend to be more positive about their content being used when it will help other people and it also depends on the research topic (7). Therefore, the choice for a “light disguise” (5) for the accounts has been chosen: only the content but no usernames or profile pictures will be shown in the screenshots. This study aims to respect the privacy of the persons included in this research as much as possible, however, due to the focus of this research regarding digital activism user-generated data is too relevant to be excluded.

2.2 Platform vernacular The term platform is not easily defined. Platforms can be viewed as social, technical and cultural artefacts (Van Dijck 29). Following Tarleton Gillespie, a platform can have four meanings: computational, architectural, figurative and political (349, 350). For this study, the multiple meanings are relevant. The computational meaning is used for the technological aspects of platforms: platforms are a “infrastructure that supports the design and use of

11 particular applications” (Gillespie 349). Moreover, platforms provide software and services that code social activity into computational architecture (Van Dijck 29). The platforms used for hashtag activism are also figurative platforms, hence they make up the “ground, foundation or basis for an action [or] event” (Gillespie 350). Moreover, the platforms are used for “opportunity, action and insight” (Ibid.). The platforms are designed for a particular activity to take place and imply a certain neutrality: one thinks of platforms as “flat, featureless and open to all” (350). However, platforms are not neutral, they carry a political valence “where a position must be taken”, this is the political meaning of platforms. Especially for (political) subjects such as abortions the political meaning of platforms is important to keep in mind. To think about which stakeholders influence the platforms and in what way. Digital platforms do not merely shape the “social dynamics” that take place, moreover, the design of the platforms allows for certain behaviour and results in a public culture they enable (Gillespie 2). Thus, digital platforms “intervene” in many ways (Gillespie 2). Digital platforms all have a different platform vernacular; each platform has its own particular form of communication (Gibbs et. al 256). This communication is not only between users, but also includes affordances and features. Design, use and appropriation are developing the platform vernacular per platform over time (Ibid.). The vernacular is unique per platform; however, the platform vernaculars can share mutual characteristics (257). For example, the feature of hashtag is incorporated in different digital platforms: on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook the hashtag can be used. However, the use of the hashtag functions differently on each platform. On Facebook a hashtag can be included in the messages but is less common than the use of hashtags on Twitter and Instagram. On Instagram, the hashtag can be used to search for images. By adding a hashtag to an image, the image gets a different meaning. It allows users to search for similar images, or images related to the same topic. Moreover, the hashtag creates a database of all the images with that hashtag. On Twitter the hashtag allows for joining or following conversations on certain topics. Thus, a platform vernacular characteristic can enable different affordances. The hashtag contributes to the each of these platform vernaculars, the way of communicating, differently. Although the platforms may have the hashtag implemented into their interface and design, this does not mean that the ways of communication on these platforms are the same. The platforms also have other characteristics that contribute to the form of communication besides the hashtag. Thus, the platform vernaculars share one characteristic (the hashtag), but do not share the same platform vernacular. The hashtag shows one characteristic affords different uses on platforms. Similar to what Richard Rogers states “digital

12 objects […] should not necessarily be treated as if they are employed equivalently across all platforms, even when present” (8). Not only have digital platforms their own form of communication, digital platforms also influence the communication between users and between the user and the platform itself. Or how Marshall McLuhan states: “The medium is the message” (1). In this study, this means that the platforms Instagram and Twitter have influence in the way content is made, shared and received by the movement as well as the users. Furthermore, that the platform itself and the choice for this platform is not just a mere detail but an interesting fact to study. Thus, the character of the medium is the message (Ibid.). This reflects to statement made earlier that platforms are not neutral but add meaning to the content and behaviour. The affordances and features of the medium is what shapes the action of human. Not only the content on the platform should be studied but also the character of the platform and the differences between the platforms. Why certain platforms are chosen to be used. The medium, thus, itself is the message. This is in line with the way of thinking by Gibbs et al., every platform has its own vernacular and this platform vernacular is what influences the whole process of using, making and posting. The medium shapes, forms and controls human action. It provides the user a certain way of communicating which would not exist without it. Digital platforms allow users to spread messages globally, creating connections which would not be possible without the platform. Thus, a digital platform, a medium, is an extension of the human (McLuhan 2) by extending the human with new possibilities for connecting, sharing, creating and expressing that were not possible without the digital platform.

For this study, the platforms Instagram and Twitter are selected to explore how digital platforms enable hashtag activism. The #ShoutYourAbortion movement as well as the users who participate by using the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion are active on both platforms. The platforms share some mutual elements, such as the hashtag, however, these mutual elements function differently on each platform. Each platform has its own platform vernacular, this shapes the use of the platform as well as the content on the platform. The next section continue will further explain the development of the hashtag, hashtag activism, digital feminism and will shed some light on the #ShoutYourAbortion movement throughout the years.

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III. #ShoutYourAbortion & online activism 3.1 Social network sites Social media have become ubiquitous in modern society (Kamal et. al 3184). From daily tasks such as setting the alarm, checking the weather to discussing political subjects and organizing events: it can all be done through social media. Online activist movements, such as #ShoutYourAbortion, would – naturally – not exist without social media. Through the affordances of different social media, online activist movements can organize, reach and spread their message across borders, nations and time zones. Social media are not easily defined. There are several social media platforms, with different features and functions, used for different purposes. Generally, social media can be described as a set of online tools that support social interaction between users (Hansen et. al 12). The support of dialog, connection and interaction between users is a significant difference between social media and the more traditional media, such as television and radio. As mentioned earlier, the ways of connecting users can differ per social media system. Social media mediate and enable the interaction between users, hence have an influence on the connection (Ibid.). Through social media many people and communities are becoming aware of the power of their voice in the media and ways of expressing themselves (Lambert 4). It allows for different narrative opportunities that are provided by written or oral medium alone (Anderson & Mack 3). Social network sites are a genre within social media and can be described as virtual collections of profiles which can be shared with other people (Hughes et. al 561), a web-based service which allows people to create a (semi)public profile, composes a list of users with whom they share a connection and view and pass through those list of themselves and others (Ellison 211). Users of social network sites may interact with different groups, or communities, online (Boyd & Ellison 15). Digital platforms, such as social network sites, enable “a bridge from a movement to the public” (Veenstra et. al 90). The use of digital platforms allows online movement to reach a broader public. Moreover, digital platforms function as a tool for engagement and participation and thus are strengthening a network of weak ties without having to psychically be in touch (Ibid.). Thus, digital platforms are allowing online activist movements to reach certain people online and subsequently strengthen the relationship with and between these people online at the same time.

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3.2 Storytelling for activism Digital platforms enable individual stories as well as collective initiatives (Baer 18). Individual stories are conducted and shared by people to make sense of their experiences. People narrate themselves to express how they think of themselves and to form their identity (De Boer & Slatman 17). These narrative, stories, can contain experiences of emotional events. The sharing of emotional events with others is called social sharing (Chio & Toma 530). Social sharing online is a form of digital storytelling. This online social sharing contributes to the larger collective initiative of an activist movements as well as to the construction of a healthy, individual identity (Lambert 12). Digital platforms are enabling social sharing and social sharing subsequently enables the development of online activist movements. #ShoutYourAbortion is created for the need of spreading and sharing personal stories with a specific purpose: breaking the stigma of abortions. Although this storytelling will contribute to breaking the stigma, it also contributes to the mental health and wellbeing of the people who tell their story. In order to study #ShoutYourAbortion on the different digital platforms, it is important to discuss what kind of research already has been done to hashtag activism and how this study will contribute to the field of digital platform studies and hashtags activism. Studies have explored the ways particular communication processes become intertwined with Instagram (Gibbs et. al 256). Gibbs et. al researched how the mourning on Instagram takes place through the #funeral (256). The main recommendation for further research is expanding the range of digital platforms for this subject (275). This study will take this recommendation into account by exploring not one, but two digital platforms. Moreover, this study will stand out by providing a case study of #ShoutYourAbortion, which has not been included in the field so far. The study of Jackson et al. also examines the use of a hashtag for activism. The case study for this research is the #GirlsLikeUs community. This community is a network created by the hashtag, which allowed trans women of colour for a space to discuss. Moreover, it discussed how Twitter was used for trans women to support and connect with another and at the same time functioned as a channel for spreading their messages to a broad audience (Jackson et. al 17). Results of the study show how the #GirlsLikeUs connects with each other on everyday experiences, advocate for rights and discuss trans issues and celebrate accomplishments of trans women (9). Although this study will follow Gibbs et. al and Jackson et. al by exploring the use of hashtags on Instagram and Twitter, it will take the next step by doing a cross-platform analysis and mapping

15 out the different uses and content on both platforms. Moreover, by exploring the affordances, different narratives of users and movement, this study sheds light on more than one side of the hashtag.

3.3 Origin of the hashtag A hashtag can be described as a keyword linked to information and helps for searching for certain subjects on digital platforms (Small 873). Moreover, a hashtag organizes tweets surrounding a particular topic (879). In order to create or use a hashtag, the hash symbol (#) is typed followed by any string of alphanumeric characters (Bruns & Burgess 3). The idea of the hashtag came from an American technologist called Chris Messina in 2007 (16). He argued that formation of groups/channels based upon interests would be a more interesting way of using Twitter. At first, his idea of the “channel tag” did not get much attention but over time the practice of using hashtags in tweets became “embedded both in the social habits of the Twitter user community and in the architecture of the system itself (Bruns & Burgess 17). Nowadays, the hashtag feature is incorporated in most digital platform. On Twitter, the hashtag has functioned as a tool for coordinating publics regarding multiple subjects; it has functioned as a tool for coordinating a discussion that is distributed between a large number of users (Bruns & Burgess 14) and for linking a tweet to certain known topic or theme (Bruns & Burgess 17). Hashtags can be used to participate into a certain hashtag conversation, however, sometimes users only use the hashtag to get more public exposure (19). Using hashtags in tweets “adds to a publicly visible body of data” (Sauter & Bruns 57). Furthermore, by tweeting with a hashtag, the user is contributing and participating in the construction of knowledge (Ibid.). Hashtags are also used to emphasize certain words in a tweet: by adding the hash symbol, the word is changed from black to a different colour. Additionally, hashtags are used for searching and indicating the certain tone of voice or expressing the user’s emotions (Ibid). For example, the meaning and intention of a tweet can be easily changed by adding #sarcasm or #justkidding to it. As stated before, the network of users formed through the hashtag is different from the hashtag formed through the following/followed network (Bruns & Burgess 19). However, when one sends out a public tweet with a certain hashtag, the two networks overlap. The followers of the users as well as the followers of the hashtag can view this tweet. The network of users formed by the hashtag can be understood as an imagined community (Ibid.). This community does not exist in the physical world but is based upon one word, the hashtag. The people following this hashtag and the corresponding conversation are forming a community. Users can

16 be temporarily part of this community by using the hashtag and at the same time can include other users to this community by retweeting and adding the hashtag. Not all users are consciously using the hashtag to become part of the community. Most of them are adding a hashtag to discuss a certain topic (Sauter & Bruns 57). On Twitter, communities and publics are formed around text, hashtags, on Instagram these communities are formed around “the rhetoric of the image” which are mostly described with the use of a hashtag (Olszanowski 237). The hashtag gives the image a meaning, because it shapes how the platform stores and spreads the image. Similar to Twitter, the hashtag on Instagram gives users the opportunity to find a community which has like-minded people with mutual interests (238). Moreover, users are participating in these communities to find support systems for their work. Using the hashtag for their content, their work, is a way of participating to the hashtag community. Another way of participating in the community is searching for others with certain hashtags (Ibid.). The hashtag allows for users to be found and to find others through old content. According to Olszanowski, the hashtag communities on Instagram are therefore formed through the past (238). As stated earlier, there are a couple of reasons for using hashtags on Instagram. Firstly, the hashtag is used for finding like-minded people (234). On Instagram a user can find others in two manners: by searching with usernames or searching with a hashtag. Secondly, finding inspiration in images posted by others with the hashtag. Thirdly, the hashtag allows users to participate in different hashtag challenges or contest. Lastly, the hashtag is used for archiving images (235). The archiving of images with the hashtags allows for the users to create a personal space which appears out in the public. This personal space shapes their online identity (237). Subsequently, hashtags on Instagram are also used for archiving images together with others (Ibid). The hashtag on Instagram also holds another important function: “it anchors the networked image” (Olszanowski 237). Without the hashtag, images will not have the same meaning. It allows to read images in a certain way (Ibid.). According to Olszanowski’s study, hashtags allow for developing and maintaining specific ways of communicating and creates intimate publics on Instagram. These hashtag publics are seen as intimate, because the people within this public are sharing their personal ideas and thought about “their ways of being in the world” (232). Thus, hashtags are serving two purposes on both Twitter and Instagram. Not only are they functioning as tools for linking the content (texts as well as images) to certain themes or topics, they are also used for coordinating publics. Users participate and contribute to the publics consciously or unconsciously by adding hashtags. Hashtag give content an extra

17 meaning and is read differently by others. Moreover, the content is gathered under certain themes or topics through the hashtag. For online activist movements, the different functions of the hashtag play a key role in their way of reaching and organizing. Hashtag perform as a tool for online activism.

3.4 Hashtag activism and digital feminism Online protesting with the use of a hashtag is known as hashtag activism (Clark 788). The most influential hashtags activism campaigns are based on a sentence hashtag instead of a single word (Yang 14). When the activist movement is related to gender equity it is called hashtag feminism (Clark 788). Hashtag feminism displays the interaction between the collective and the individual by gathering individual stories to demonstrate the collective experience of inequality (Turley & Fisher 129). Using hashtags for responding in digital spaces is also known as ‘shouting back’. Social media campaigns such as #ShoutYourAbortion are using hashtags in order to make the campaigns accessible for a larger audience (Ibid.). Furthermore, the use of social media stimulates a collective feeling of support and compassion (Turley & Fisher 129). Digital platforms are often used by feminist movements (Turley & Fisher 128). By using these platforms, gender oppression can be made visible and at the same time gives feminist protest movements the opportunity to spread globally (Ibid.). Moreover, they are used by feminists for addressing experiences of sexism and on a daily basis and enable the possibility to react to one another (Ibid.). These platforms offer potential for distributing feminist ideas, shaping thoughts of gender and sexism and offer new ways of protesting (Baer 19). Digital feminism represents a critical juncture in feminism in two ways. First, digital platforms are creating new ways and offer easily spreading consciousness regarding feminist issues. Second, it provides a space for feminists from different countries, origins, norms and values where they can learn from each other through conversation (Baer 18). The online sharing of personal stories and connecting through digital platforms is what separates hashtag feminism from earlier forms of feminism (Clark 789). The online sharing of personal stories is also known as digital storytelling and can be done for different reasons. As mentioned in former sections, it provides individuals the opportunity to develop personal identities, react to own experiences and become proactive in their lives (Anderson & Mack 11). It provides new insights, understanding of experiences and possibilities of change (Ibid.). Additionally, digital storytelling through social media enables new relationships, opportunities for advice and possibilities for individuals to define themselves (De Boer & Slatman 23, 24). For online activist movements the hashtag plays a key role in digital storytelling. It makes the spreading

18 of (personal) stories more efficient by providing a narrative focus (Clark 796). Without the hashtag, hashtag activism as well as the #ShoutYourAbortion movement would not exist. This shows how the use of technology has shaped activist movements by enabling a new form of activist movement. Especially for feminism, the use of technology has changed a lot. As states earlier, a critical juncture or turning point in feminism has occurred. The next section will explore this turning point but will first provide a general overview of feminism throughout the different waves. It is impossible to define feminism as one movement with one vision. Feminism consists of different strand within the movement and each strand has its own focus points. However, one sentence which can sum up the key elements of feminism is written by bell hooks: “Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression” (8). This study will follow this statement regarding feminism in general. The turning point of feminism is the shift from the third wave to the fourth wave. Many argue that the internet has enabled this shift (Munro 23). In order to describe the latter, it is important to first briefly discuss the first, second and third wave of feminism. The first wave started in 1830 and lasted until the early 1900. The focus of this feminist wave was on gaining political power for women, such as the right to vote (Dorey-Stein n.p.). Moreover, this feminist wave focused on issues regarding sexual, reproductive and economic matters (Ibid.). During this wave, diverse forms of interventions were created which inspired later feminist movements (Krolokke & Sorensen 3). In the United States, the first wave was intertwined with other reform movements. The most active women in this wave were mostly white, middle-class well-educated women (4). However, the wave was also supported by Black women abolitionists (3). First wave feminism contains different strands such as a more liberal feminism and socialist/Marxist feminism (5). Nevertheless, all strands believed in equity and the equal rights for women as for men. The socialist feminists of the first wave gave the impetus for the second wave feminists, by fighting for the right to divorce, the right of having non- legislative relationships and the right for abortion (7). The second wave took place during the sixties of the twentieth century (Dorey-Stein n.p.). This wave consisted of different movements such as the more radical feminists, who protested against the beauty culture, pageants and the idea that the looks of a woman are her most important feature (Krolokke & Sorensen 7). Alongside the radical feminists, there was the Women’s liberation, and the New Left movement. During this wave it was not about if someone was a feminist, but what kind of feminism that person identifies with (15). At the same time, Black power, lesbian and gay, and civil rights movements were also very active (8). The

19 multiple active movements and the differences between the feminist movements make it hard to grasp the second wave of feminism. However, an important contribution of the second wave feminists was the focus on research and the urgency to teach on women’s issues (15). This contribution ultimately led to the start of women’s, gender and feminist studies (Ibid.). The third wave emerged in the 1990s (Dorey-Stein n.p.). The women of this wave were born with the benefits the women of the earlier waves fought for (Krolokke & Sorensen 15). The focus of the third wave feminists was on the development of a feminist theory, the goal was to dismantle categorical thinking and subsequently respecting different identities and experiences (Ibid.). Moreover, third wave feminists dismiss the idea of unified goals and values (Looft 894). The fourth wave of feminism was rising in the summer of 2013 (Cochrane n.p.). Women recognized the sexism and misogyny in their everyday lives and decided that it was time to ‘shout back’. Several campaigns, such as the Everyday Sexism, were started during this period (Cochrane n.p.). The internet has enabled people to take action against issues such as discrimination. Chamberlain agrees with the fourth wave starting point of Cochrane; however, she states it is harder to categories the fourth wave of feminism as compared to the earlier three waves (461). Technology, such as digital platforms, has changed feminism by changing the ways of communication between the feminists (Chamberlain 462). Through these platforms, individual incidents or initiatives are gaining more attention and reach more people. Furthermore, women are now able to document these individual incidents of bad treatment (Ibid.). Technology has changed a lot for feminism. Firstly, technology adds speed to feminism by spreading information quickly or starting petitions in a click. Secondly, local issues can now get global attention. Thirdly, technology has changed the relationship between feminists and non-feminists/misogynists. All three former waves have dealt with ‘backlash’ to their feminism, but the fourth wave feminists are the first who can directly engage with this backlash (Ibid.). The women of Shout Your Abortion can be seen as fourth wave feminists; hence they use social media for shouting back against the anti-abortion culture, and to discuss and raising awareness for abortion. These women also experience backlash; however, this backlash has been active for centuries. The discussion between supporters and opponents of abortion is known as the debate of pro-life versus pro-choice. When one thinks of the abortion debate, the two options pro-life and pro-choice come quickly into mind. The abortion debate between pro-life, abortion opponents versus pro-choice, abortion rights activists has been going on for centuries offline, thus chances are that the two contrary positions will be also present online. The pro-life position argues that the every fetus

20 is a life and people should not get the opportunity to decide whether or not that life is valuable enough. Therefore, pro-life position advocates for abortion to the criminalized. Moreover, they focus on moral claims regarding the sanctity of life (Smith 121). Furthermore, according to the pro-life position, abortion threatens the primary identity of women as mothers, “devalues essential female’s traits or nurturance” and subsequently obstructs women’s ‘natural’ ties to children and family (Markens 15). Not only are the unborn children victims of abortions, also the women are victims of abortion. According to new narratives of anti-abortion movements, women are now pressured to get an abortion instead of following their natural desire to become a mother (Ibid.). According to the pro-choice position, the choice of continuing a pregnancy or not can be only made by the women. Their main argument is that the woman should be able to control their own body (Smith 121). Moreover, women should be able to have an identity which is not based on motherhood (Markens 15). Arguments of the positions show how they not only disagree over the fetus, moreover, they have distinct views of women’s roles in society (Ibid.). The opponents of abortion view women as primarily mothers, while the abortion activist advocate for more than just that one identity. Multiple activist movements have committed themselves to one of the positions, online as well as offline. How online activist movements achieve change will be discussed in the next paragraph.

3.5 Discursive change Most online activist movements are focussed on organisation around offline events, such as the Women’s March in 2017. Additionally, most researches regarding online activist movements are focussed on this offline aspect. However, the aspect of discursive change as a result of online movements should not be overlooked (Shaw 373). Online movements can produce offline results (Clark 791). This discursive change is the result of the development of discourse within these movements. Over time, the discourse of the movements drives the change of discursive boundaries of discussion. This leads to change what is possible for people to talk about (Shaw 382). Thus, online activist movements commence the possibility of discussing sensitive topics. Changing people’s mind about which topics can be discussed is not only the result of the discourse within online activist movements, also the platforms which are used by the movements are contributing to the shifting of boundaries. According to Shirky, social media offers the possibility for changing people’s mind. To change people’s minds mass media alone is not enough: it is a two-step process (Shirky 34). First, opinions are transmitted by media. Second, these opinions are then being repeated by friends, family members and other acquaintances. In the latter the political opinion is formed. The Internet and in particular social

21 media have had a significant impact on the second step (Ibid.). They allow people to share and spread their (conflicting) opinions privately as well as publicly (Ibid.). Women who are publicly speaking up about their injustices through the use of the hashtag have the desire to change the reality (Atonakis-Nashif 102). By narrating their injustices, they are taking action and therefore should be seen as activists (Ibid.). Thus, by using social media, the women who contribute to the #ShoutYourAbortion movement are activist who are challenging and trying to change the mainstream discourse that abortion experiences cannot be discussed or shared.

3.6 Historical development of the movement As mentioned in the introduction, this study chooses the #ShoutYourAbortion as topic due to several reasons. One of these reasons was the lack of study to the online feminist activism of #ShoutYourAbortion. On their website Shout Your Abortion is described as: “[…] [A] decentralized network of individuals talking about abortion on our own terms and creating space for others to do the same” (‘Shout Your Abortion’ n.p.). According to the website, shouting of abortion does not solely happen on social media, but is also displayed in art, outfits and zines (Ibid.). The slogan of Shout Your Abortion states “Abortion is normal. Our stories are ours to tell. This is not a debate”. The movement #ShoutYourAbortion is created in September 2015 for empowering people to tell their stories and the truth about their lives (‘About’ n.p.) Moreover, to create spaces for people where they are not silenced and shamed for their abortion. From the beginning in 2015, the hashtag is now used over 300.000 times (Ibid.). The website of Shout Your Abortion states that abortion access in the United States have been prohibited the past years, even though twenty-five percent of the Americans has had an abortion and seventy percent of the Americans supports abortion rights. According to Shout Your Abortion this is the results of anti-choice movements creating a culture where discussing abortions is impossible (Ibid.). In order to change this culture, stories must be shared to humanize the experience of abortion and hopefully spark compassion amongst others. Thus, the #ShoutYourAbortion is used for shouting back. Moreover, for creating a community and continuing the dialog about abortion with real experiences and voices (‘About’ n.p.). As mentioned in this section, discursive change can be achieved through online movements and that is the current goal of Shout Your Abortion. However, the movement is created almost three years ago. Therefore, this study will now provide a historical context of the course of the

22 movement throughout the years based upon the websites of #ShoutYourAbortion. In 20154, the movement described itself as “a network of voices to destigmatize abortion through dialogue”. The website did not include the abortion stories neither other ways of supporting the movement. In 20165 the movement started #TogetherForAbortion: an initiative for women to meet (offline) to talk about abortion in fifty states in America. Options for downloading protest material, such as posters and video’s, were made available on the website that year. Moreover, the movement “coordinated a series of installations to elevate the visibility of people who choose abortion”. In 20176, the movement changed their slogan to “abortion is normal. Our stories are ours to tell. This is not a debate”. The movement is described as “a decentralized network of individuals” talking about abortion on their own terms and creating space for others to do the same. Starting from 2017, the abortion stories of people were shared on the website. Although, when using the way back machine, the titles of the stories show up, but the links are unavailable to open, the stories can be found back on the current website by searching the titles.

Thus, movements such as #ShoutYourAbortion would not exist without the use of digital platforms. Using hashtags and implementing digital platforms for activist purposes shows a turning point for feminism by allowing individual stories and participation to be combined with collective initiatives. Moreover, it allows women to document and spread their everyday fights with sexism and misogyny in a way that was not possible before. The hashtag does not only allow for spreading content, it also links content to certain topics, coordinates publics and adds meaning to the content. Digital elements as the hashtag allow for women and movements to start discussing sensitive topics. This will shift the boundaries of discussing these topics. Online movements can have offline effects and that is exactly the purpose of why #ShoutYourAbortion was started: “our stories are ours to tell, this is not a debate”. The next section will highlight the affordances and features of the digital platforms used by #ShoutYourAbortion.

4 https://web.archive.org/web/20151119073400/https://shoutyourabortion.com 5 https://web.archive.org/web/20160111064743/http://shoutyourabortion.com:80/ 6 http://web.archive.org/web/20170425224457/https://shoutyourabortion.com/

23 IV. Affordances This section will discuss the affordances of digital platforms Instagram and Twitter. The focus of Twitter was and remains the focus on sharing thoughts with others and interacting with people regarding certain issues. The focus of Instagram is more on the sharing and creating of visual content instead of the connecting with others.

4.1 Twitter: Microblogging Digital platform Twitter 7was launched in 2006 and became popular two or three years after. Twitter can be described as a microblogging site where users can write textual updates (Marwick & Boyd 116). The posts used to have a maximum of 140 characters, but recently, Twitter has increased this maximum to 280. The platform encourages the user to tweet by asking “what’s happening?” (image 2).

Image 2: Screenshot of Tweet feature taken on 27-04-2018.

The interface of Twitter includes a timeline that contains all the posts of the followed users and a notification feature where all mentions and retweets are notified (https://twitter.com). The platform has the feature of private messages also known as direct messages or DM’s (Marwick & boyd 117), with this feature users can message each other privately instead of posting it on their timelines. Twitter also provides of which trends (image 3) or which accounts (image 4) are relevant to follow for the user.

7 https://twitter.com

24

Image 3: screenshot of relevant trends feature Image 4: screenshot of relevant accounts feature taken on 27-03-2018. https://twitter.com taken on 27-03-2018. https://twitter.com

When posting a textual update, the user can add hashtags and links or mention other accounts by using the ‘@’ sign. Furthermore, the user can comment, retweet or like other tweets (https://twitter.com). Retweeting means the user replicates an earlier posted tweet. This replicating does not necessarily mean the original tweet is not altered, users can enhance or change the original tweet without the consent of the user. The platform also has a search bar, where users as well as hashtags and words can be queried. The results of the search are showed in different categories. These categories are: top, most recent, persons, pictures, videos, news and broadcasts (https://twitter.com). When one enters the account of another user, the amount of tweets, followers, followed and likes are displayed (image 5).

Image 5: Screenshot of Twitter’s official account taken on 27-03-2018. https://twitter.com/Twitter

Whether the content is public or private depends on the privacy settings of the account. On the user’s profile, the date of birth is visible as well as the date the account was created. Moreover,

25 locations and websites can be added to the account as well as ‘lijsten’ (tr. lists) and ‘momenten’ (tr. Moments). Lists can be made to post and store certain tweets per category where users can subscribe to and moments can be created to store specific tweets. Users can easily register themselves and create a Twitter account. The only thing needed is an email address and a password. The accessibility as well as the features of easily spreading, retweeting and commenting on textual posts to an (unknown) large public shows how Twitter can be used for hashtag activism. Through features such as the hashtag, content can reach beyond borders and continents. Furthermore, by creating lists and people subscribing to these lists, online activist movements can easily update and inform their followers. Without any physical contact, connections are made, and ideas are exchanged between hundreds of thousands if not millions of people. These affordances are not native to Twitter; however, the platform allows for spreading textual updates in an unique and fast way by providing opportunities for hashtags to become trending. By doing so, hashtags used for activism can gain global attention. Additionally, activist movements can be easily searched and found through the hashtag. Furthermore, due to the character of Twitter, a hashtag activism movement can be started by one individual. With the platform, no big organizations or structures are needed. Thus, the platform allows for new and different ways of activism.

4.2 Instagram: Focus on visual content Digital platform Instagram8 was launched in 2010 and by the end of that year, the platform already had one million users (Desreumax n.pag). Two years later, the platform was bought by Facebook (Upbin n.pag.). Instagram was developed for mobile devices to share images and videos (Gibbs et. al 258). Users can alter their photographs with different options and filters (Ibid.). This altering allows the user to create a unique look or feel to their content. Additionally, a description can be added to the image. The descriptions mostly contain one or more hashtags to reach a certain public and has no maximum of characters.

8 https://www.instagram.com

26

Image 6: Screenshot of timeline with stories Image 7: Screenshot of explore interface taken on 27-03-2018. taken on 27-03-2018.

The interface of Instagram contains: a timeline with the posted content by followed users as well as sponsored ads (image 6), an explore interface that contains inspirational and relevant content unique per individual user based upon previous likes and follows (image 7), a feature for uploading content, an overview of all previous likes, follows and comments on one’s profile as well as an overview of the likes, follows and comments given by the followed users (image 8), and finally the Instagram profile with the posted content. At the top of the timeline a range of ‘Instagram stories’ is displayed (image 6). These stories are images or videos uploaded by the followed users and can be watched up until 24 hours after uploading. The feature of inspirational and relevant content also contains stories, however, all the content in this section is posted by people the user does not follow yet. Thus, the stories and content on the timeline is from people the user already follows, while the stories and content on the explore interface is from people the user does not have an online connection with.

27

Image 8: Screenshot of followed users’ online behaviour Image 9: Screenshot of search bar taken on 27-03-2018. taken on 27-03-2018.

The explore interface also has a search bar implemented where people, words, tags and places can be searched (image 9). Every account on Instagram as well as individual hashtags function as a way of archiving content. Every Instagram account archives its own content, while hashtags gather and archive all content that includes a hashtag from different accounts. Through hashtags, users can find likeminded people and communities can be created by using the same hashtags for every post. Instagram allows users to add multiple chains of hashtags to one single post. This results in the post being stored under many hashtag and thus will eventually will reach a bigger public. The interface of Instagram enables and supports hashtag activism by providing the options for spreading visual content and messages through different hashtags.

By exploring the affordances of the platforms, the differences and similarities become clear. While Twitter is more organized around text and Instagram more on visual content, they both share the feature of the hashtag. On Twitter, hashtags can become trending topics and can be used to join a conversation regarding a specific topic. On Instagram, hashtags are used for

28 archiving and collecting content, as well as finding and searching for interesting content. The next section will demonstrate how the affordances of the platforms influence the use and content by analysing the user-generated content on Instagram and Twitter of #ShoutYourAbortion.

29 V. #ShoutYourAbortion users’ stories 5.1 Twitter: user-generated content analysis This section is dedicated to the analysis of the user-generated content of Twitter9. First, the categories will be briefly described, followed by the analysis of the results. As mentioned earlier, the time period for the user-generated content will be from the first of February until the first of March. The option for most recent tweets is selected on the platform. The query for #ShoutYourAbortion within resulted in 65 tweets in total. The tweets are sorted in the following categories: supporting, encouraging, announcing and resisting. Due to the multiple functions of the tweets, some may be categorised in more than one category. The category supporting will contain tweets where accounts show their appreciation or love for others. This includes women being thanked by one another or where the movement of #ShoutYourAbortion is being appreciated. The encouraging category is for the tweets that encourages people to speak up about their abortion, whether this is online or offline. Announcing contains the announcements of different things regarding abortion. This can be announcing the dates of events, the launch of clothing lines or announcing certain articles in magazines. Resisting is the category that contains the tweets that resist the idea and procedures of abortion. This category is for the people who are against #ShoutYourAbortion and abortions in general. Additionally, some of the tweets do not have a connection with abortion but are shown in the results because the user mentioned the hashtag to gain a broader reach. This section will now continue with the analysis of the user-generated content. The analysis of the user-generated content will not be discussed per category, but the categories will be combined into three narratives. These narratives include the most significant findings and explore how #ShoutYourAbortion is applied by the users of Twitter. Moreover, how Twitter enables hashtag activism for her users.

5.1.1 Personal supporting and encouragement The first narrative is providing personal motivational support and encouragement. Showing support and encouragement through the #ShoutYourAbortion is done in various ways by different actors. Personal as well as non-personal accounts support abortions in general, support the movement of #ShoutYourAbortion and support individuals. For example, supporting abortions in general is done by a personal account stating: “Your life belongs to nobody but you; don’t ever let someone make you feel any other way. Your body, your life, your choice.

9 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FwbIEJWo0jQieAxmEZJL9MZOsUQ88j2JWZlCQpBlaVE/edit#gid=1964761282

30 #ShoutYourabortion”. This tweet is supporting the choice for abortion but is not directed at someone in particular. Similar tweets are posted by non-personal accounts, such as10: “My health. My education. My future. My body. My choice. #Shoutyourabortion”. The main difference between the former and the latter, is the purpose of the account. While the first statement is made by a personal account which mentions the debate surrounding abortion once, the second statement is made by a non-personal account that is completely dedicated to the topic of abortion. Additionally, support is showed directly to people who share their story (image 10), as well as showing support to the movement of #ShoutYourAbortion: “#ShoutYourAbortion is not all about the stories. But to share the awareness and support women. No more the secrets […]”.

Image 10: Screenshot of personal account taken on 1-04-2018.

The narrative of motivational support occurs mostly through personal accounts. These accounts do not frequently post content for #ShoutYourAbortion but appear only once in the dataset. Thus, the motivational support through personal accounts is a common narrative that is carried out by different individuals. This narrative shows how Twitter enables hashtag activism by providing a platform for people to speak their minds and support each other. The connection between users can be a one-time occurring connection, however, they are part of the #ShoutYourAbortion movement. The tweet of image 10 is the example of how hashtag activism works on Twitter. One individual shares her story about her abortion and another shows her the support and appreciation for her going through the procedure and sharing it online. Without the platform, these people would never have interacted with each other, and if they had, other people would not have been able to view this. Thus, Twitter does not only enable connections between strangers and creates online spaces for speaking about taboos, but also creates a space where others can read and be part of the process and perhaps be inspired.

10 https://twitter.com/Abortion_Rights/status/960929345480126464

31 Another way of how support is showed on Twitter is through encouraging. This encouraging on Twitter is mostly dedicated to taking action or encouraging certain behaviour online and offline. An example of supporting through encouragement is shows in the following image (image 11).

Image 11: screenshot of personal account taken on 4-04-2018.

With this tweet, certain online behaviour is encouraged. This person wants others to add and retweet content with the purpose of fighting against the alternative facts presented by opponents of abortion. She encourages people to take action, and while doing so, she is fighting for and supporting abortion in general. Similar to this tweet, is the tweet encouraging that everyone should follow @OliveMercies because she shares “important stories about #reproductiverights and #abortion – stories that are important to hear”. By encouraging users to follow Olive Mercies, this tweet provides a bigger audience for Olive Mercies. Thus, the stories Mercies shares about abortion and reproductive rights will therefore reach and educate more people. This will serve the purpose of creating more knowledge about abortion, while breaking the stigma surrounding abortion by speaking openly about it. The user does not only support Olive mercies by encouraging, moreover, she supports breaking the stigma surrounding abortion. The opportunity for people to exchange, spread their knowledge online without face-to-face contact and possibilities to support each other in new ways is another way of Twitter enabling hashtag activism. Through Twitter, people can spread their opinions and statements quick and easily, and the platform supports this by providing multiple ways of spreading such as hashtags and trending topics.

32 Another way of encouraging, is online encouraging for offline behaviour. The tweet of @chariscircle11 announces the Bible Belt Tour of #ShoutYourAbortion: an abortion storytelling tour. The tweet encourages people to “join us and share stories” (image 12).

Image 12: screenshot of @charliscircle taken on 4-04-2018.

This tweet shows how online encouragement can have an offline effect and how online movements can have offline results. The organizing of events creates a bridge of stigma breaking online to stigma breaking offline by encouraging to shout abortions online as well as offline. Thus, Twitter provides opportunities for people to encourage others in new ways online: to fight false claims online with the use of Twitter, to be inspired and encouraged to share stories and to follow certain accounts who can be valuable for others to follow. Moreover, it shows how Twitter enables hashtag activism of #ShoutYourAbortion by providing the options for encouraging more people to join the activist movement in any way: online as well as offline.

5.1.2 Resisting providers and movements Twitter is, after supporting, most used for resisting abortion. The resisting transpires in two ways. The most frequent way of resisting abortion on Twitter is the verbally attacking of abortion providers and pro-abortion movements. Therefore, the second narrative of Twitter is resisting abortion by attacking providers and movements. The resisting tweets are mostly posted by personal accounts and contain social shares as well as personal opinions of the users. The reasons for resisting abortions and abortion providers vary. Examples of these reasons are:

11 https://twitter.com/chariscircle/status/968610914156077057

33 one cannot decide over other lives, supporting abortions means devaluating life which will result in school shooting and abortions are cruel for child and mother. Some Twitter accounts are even created solely to fight against abortions. The non-personal account @WriteTrashRPT12 states that the #shoutyourabortion stories “achieve a level of callousness unheard of before” and according to @AUL13 “abortions hurt women physically and mentally”. Image 13 demonstrates how personal accounts use #ShoutYourAbortion to fight against the activist movement. This shows how the hashtag is also used by the back lash of the movement, to spread an opposite message. By using the hashtag, this user increases the chance of her content reaching abortion supporters (because they will most likely follow the #ShoutYourAbortion thread).

Image 13: screenshot of resisting through personal account taken on 8-04-2018.

Moreover, it shows how content created for one purpose can be repurposed for another message. The picture used in the tweet is originally created to support #ShoutYourAbortion. The picture contains a smiling woman with a shirt on that says #ShoutYourAbortion. However, the picture has been altered by adding text to it. Image 1414 shows how editing of an original photo can repurpose supporting content into resisting content.

12 https://twitter.com/WriteTrashRPT/status/966037476539322368 13 https://twitter.com/AUL/status/969230301011509254 14 https://twitter.com/LbrtyNow/status/967472368837799936

34

Image 14: screenshot of attached image tweet taken on 8-08-2018.

Not only is the purpose of the image changed by editing, the image is now used for making a connecting between two non-related cases, namely: abortions and school shootings. This connection is not only made through this specific tweet but is made multiple times throughout the dataset. Another way of resisting abortion is attacking abortion providers with negative personal stories. Image 15 shows the tweet from a personal account. This person states that abortion providers and supporters such as Planned Parenthood ignore the fact that some women regret their abortion. Attached to this tweet is a video clip of the user, explaining how she underwent an (unwanted) abortion because she forced by the father of the child. Furthermore, how the abortion clinic did not pay enough attention to her to recognize the fact that she did not want the abortion and let her down by not discontinuing the procedure. She uses her experience and personal story to resist abortion and fight against abortion providers.

Image 15: Screenshot of tweet taken on 8-08-2018.

35 Not only are users attacking abortion providers or movements, also the supporters and contributors of the movements are (verbally) attacked online. A personal account turns the original purpose of #ShoutYourAbortion, to break the stigma surrounding abortion, into a new way of further enhancing the stigma by tweeting “#shoutyourabortion so I can know who is ignorant, racist and/or thinks the collective can decide which human life is valuable”. When using the #ShoutYourAbortion to find out who has gotten an abortion in order to fight against those people, the hashtag functions as a tool for witch hunting. This shows how the platform Twitter also enables more opportunity for the back lash of activism to organize and resist. Moreover, it enables opponents of the movement to obtain personal information about the abortion supporters and possibilities for (unwanted) personal contact between the supporters and opponents. Another tweet that calls out abortion supporters is calling out a woman by posting “Happy Valentines Days to @(username) and.... oh that’s right, you’re a feminist so you hate men. Turns out, @ 16 and because of abortion, you killed the only two human beings, that could have ever love someone like you. #shoutyourabortion #Feminism”. Both tweets show how Twitter can function as a tool for attacking and calling out people. Although these tweets showed up as results of the query #ShoutYourAbortion on Twitter the 2nd of April, days later during the analysis, both tweets could not be traced back. This can be the result of: the accounts decided to delete their post, or the platform Twitter decided that the content must be deleted due to offensive content. Users have the option to rapport each other’s content if they find it offensive. The platform will then decide whether or not the content will be deleted. Thus, while the platform enables opponents of hashtag activism certain ways to organize, resist and fight the movement, opportunities for personal attacks are being diminished. However, Twitter does enable the backlash of activism. This backlash manifests itself the same way as the supporters: spreading statements from personal as well as non- personal accounts and sharing links or images to emphasize the message further.

5.1.3 Announcing and informing The third narrative that occurs on Twitter is tweeting to announce various activities, products and events, announcing and informing. Most of the announcements are made by non-personal accounts. The content announces a variety of ways to educate, speak and raise awareness about abortions. From articles in (online) magazines about abortions, offline events for speaking about abortions to informative video’s. @Bust_magazine is tweeting for announcing articles in their magazine; links are added to these tweets, so others can easily open and read these articles.

36 One tweet15 announces an article in Bust Magazine that includes Lizz Winstead. Other tweets are used to announce certain events, for example the tweet by @chariscircle (image 12). Announcements are also made by personal accounts. For example: “Just a friendly reminder that roe vs wade turned 45 this year #abortionisnormal #ShoutYourAbortion”. Twitter enables hashtag activism by providing options for people to announce, distribute and spread different pieces of information in new ways. The use of Twitter for announcements makes it possible for hashtag activism to reach more ten thousand people with just one message of 280 characters. For example, @Bust_magazine16 reaches over 70.000 people with their tweets. Thus, digital platforms enable hashtag activism by providing efficient and easy ways of spreading content amongst people. Moreover, it provides opportunities to educate and inform a broad public.

As mentioned before, using hashtags for responding in digital spaces is also known as ‘shouting back’. This shouting back is part of the reasons why #ShoutYourAbortion was created. Stories of abortion should not be silenced anymore, and through digital platforms women can now ‘shout back’ at the people who are against abortions and try to silence them. Shouting back happens throughout most of the user-generated content: when one supports abortions online, encourages others to speak up, one also shouts back at people who wants to silence the abortions. Thus, the case study of Twitter’s user-generated content for #ShoutYourAbortion shows that the platform enables hashtag activism in different ways. Moreover, it shows how different actors (personal as well as non-personal accounts, famous as well as ordinary people) use the platform differently.

5.2 Instagram: user-generated content analysis The query of #ShoutYourAbortion on Instagram17 resulted in 179 posts. The functions of the posts were similar to the content on Twitter, thus, the categories are comparable between the platforms. However, the content on Instagram is way more extensive, in function as well as content. For example, the category of resisting and supporting have multiple ways in how these functions are being deployed and therefore will be more explored in this section. Moreover, all posts are images combined with a caption. Therefore, every Instagram post contains two elements to analyse, whereas on Twitter, most tweets did not include images. The analysis will

15 https://twitter.com/bust_magazine/status/968572493593305091 16 https://twitter.com/bust_magazine 17 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FwbIEJWo0jQieAxmEZJL9MZOsUQ88j2JWZlCQpBlaVE/edit#gid=1379739609

37 contain three narratives that include the most significant findings. As stated earlier, the extensiveness of the content and their function will result in a more extensive analysis compared to the user-generated content of Twitter. Furthermore, the narratives will have some overlap due to the fact that they may contain mutual categories.

5.2.1 Selfies, photographs and social sharing The first narrative of Instagram is using selfies and photographs for social sharing. The social sharing on Instagram is mainly done for two (contradictory) purposes: for resisting as well as supporting abortion. Most of the social sharing posts on Instagram is posted by a small number of accounts. These accounts are very active in spreading content with the #ShoutYourAbortion and therefore cover a big part of the dataset. The accounts are personal as well as non-personal and some will be discussed in this section. What the accounts have in common is making use of the social sharing function on Instagram and how they share their personal stories. They share their stories through the captions under the posted images. The textual element contains the social sharing; however, this textual element cannot be posted on Instagram without an image. Thus, the textual element of social sharing text is accompanied by an image and the most used images for this category are selfies or photographs of people. One of the active personal accounts in this category is showed in screenshot 16. Her account is dedicated to spreading her experiences of abortion on her Instagram page. It is a personal account: it has her full name in the biography and is clearly used for personal purposes, moreover, it contains only content created by her and about her. Image 16 shows the post of her sharing a selfie that includes a social sharing caption.

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Image 16: screenshot of selfie taken on 8-04-2018. Image 17: screenshot of art taken on 8-04-2018

The selfie on its own would not be categorised as a social share, without the caption it would just be a selfie: the caption is adding a certain meaning and function to it. The caption states that she had her first day without thinking about her abortion and the selfie shows her smiling. By combining this photo with the caption, she shows how life continues after abortion and the emotions attached to the abortion will not have negative output on her happiness. Screenshot 16 is one of the examples how social sharing is done through a selfie and a caption. However, social sharing is also done through other images than selfies and photographs. Image 17 shows how one can also use artwork for social sharing. In the caption the user expresses her anxious feelings about her abortions and being afraid that maybe she is putting her ability of having children in the future in danger. However, she ends the caption with explaning different ways to ease her anxious feelings and that in the end it will all work out. Image 17 shows how other images besides selfies can also function as a tool for social sharing. For example, on bad days when users feel sad, the need of making a selfie can be too much effort. Artwork created by others can function as a way for enabling social sharing on Instagram. Social sharing with photographs of people is also done by non-personal accounts. The most active non-personal account in the category social sharing is @standforlivemovement. This account is dedicated to sharing stories of different people. It enables a collection of social

39 sharing stories, moreover, it functions as a channel where stories from different people can be shared from one account. As the name states, the account ‘stands for life’: the social sharing on this account is done for resisting abortion. This resisting comes forward in different success stories. For example: the story of a young woman that got unplanned pregnant. She decided to keep her child, remained close to the father of the child and managed to achieve all her life goals (such as graduating). Another woman decided to give birth to her child, put it up for adoption and made the dream of a childless family come true. And lastly, the stories of families with adopted children are shared on the Instagram account. What the social sharing stories all have in common is that the stories are accompanied by happy photographs of their tellers. The main message of the posts and the account is to choose life, because there are so many different options than abortion.

Image 18: Screenshot of Ryan and his child on @standforlifemovement Image 19: screenshot of Jessica and her child on taken on 9-04-2018 @standforlifemovement taken on 9-04-2018.

Image 1818 shows the story of Ryan. The image is a picture of Ryan and his adopted child. At first sight, without the caption, the picture would just be a man and a boy, or a father and his child. By reading the caption, it becomes clear that Ryan has adopted his son to help a teenage

18 https://www.instagram.com/p/BfrSdTSDq2-/?tagged=shoutyourabortion

40 mother who struggled with her current situation. Thus, the caption on non-personal accounts function the same as on personal accounts: it adds meaning and changes the message of the images. Additionally, the account that posts the picture also adds meaning to it. If the picture was posted on Ryan’s personal accounts, it would not have the same meaning as on @standforlifemoment, Because the @standforlifemovement account has a specific purpose. This purpose is clear through the name of the account as well as the biography and the feed: all content uploaded on the account have a mutual meaning: content that shows why to stand for life. While on Ryan’s personal account the picture would just function as a way of sharing his family story with his followers. Moreover, the @standforlifemovement has lots of followers, thus, the content posted on the accounts reaches a broader public. Image 1919 shows the photograph of a smiling woman with her child, over the photograph the text “life” is added. Similar to the picture of Ryan and his child, the picture of Jessica and her child would not have had the same meaning without the caption or the added “LIFE” text. In the caption Jessica states her life fell apart when she found out was pregnant as a teenager and how she, with the father, of the baby planned for an abortion but last minute decided to cancel the appointment and keep the baby. She continues by stating that it was the best decision in her life and how the father of the child even changed his mind and has been around since the birth. By sharing her story, Jessica shows how even in her hard circumstances, keeping her child was the best choice she made. Adding the “life” text emphasizes the message of her story: LIFE is the best and only choice. Selfies and photographs of people are only used in combination with social sharing. Adding the photographs of the people is making the social sharing posts valid and real. It adds meaning to the story by providing or proving that these are real stories told by real people. It does not matter whether this story is exposing the positive side of abortion, the negative side of abortion or showing the other options besides abortion. The pictures of people add an emotional element of seeing happy families with their children or a happy woman after abortion. Without the pictures, the social shares would be less personal, however, without the captions the pictures would not have been necessarily social sharing. Both are depending on each other. The account that posts the content also has an influence on the content: it determines the purpose of the content (whether this is to stand for life or to choose adoption), it enables people to share their story with a bigger audience and it functions as a channel that users can follow for certain content. Moreover, photo editing such as adding texts into the pictures, can further emphasize

19 https://www.instagram.com/p/BfZg0u4D8P_/?tagged=shoutyourabortion

41 the meaning of the content. Without having to read the whole caption, the message becomes clear through the image. Thus, Instagram functions as a tool for social sharing by providing different options for uploading images, sharing stories and editing pictures. Moreover, it shows how digital platforms enable hashtag activism by providing opportunities to share personal stories in different formats.

5.2.2 Shocks and fake facts for resisting The narrative of selfies and photographs for social sharing discusses how personal stories and photographs can be used to resist or fight abortion. However, this is not the only way the resisting of abortion occurs on Instagram. The other ways of resisting will be discussed in this section. This section will provide the second narrative of Instagram: resisting abortion with shocks and facts. The analysis shows that the category resisting contains the most posts of all categories. The platform Instagram is thus most used for uploading content that resists abortion. The resisting of abortion occurs in different ways and is done by different accounts. Most of the content is posted by the non-personal accounts @standforlifemovement and @pro_life_1_. The most active personal accounts for resisting abortion is showed in image 20. The purpose and dedication of the accounts is already in their Instagram name. The resisting of abortion occurs, apart from social sharing, in two ways: resisting by sharing shocking emotional images and resisting through “proof”. The sharing of shocking content contains shocking images as well as offensive captions that both leave an emotional impression. Image 2020 is an example of resisting by sharing emotional images. The image shows a baby. Without the caption, the picture in combination with the name of the account would spread the message that pro-life supporters protect the rights of babies. This already functions as resisting abortion through emotional images. However, the caption emphasizes this by stating “25 weeks old. There is a whole mess of Democrats and their fellow pro-choice voters who are totally ok with killing him or her. Justify this”. This caption adds more meaning to the image by resisting not only abortions in general, but also pro-choice supporters.

20 https://www.instagram.com/p/Be4rMSWna_s/?tagged=shoutyourabortion

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Image 20: screenshot of shocking image @pro_life_1 taken on 9-04-2018. Image 21: screenshot of shocking image on personal account taken on 9-04-2018.

The use of emotionally charged images is taken a step further in image 21. This image creates a shock due to the picture of the baby. Using this kind of images will generate attention for the post, the contrast between the adult hand and the small feet emphasize the vulnerability of the baby. There is not even a caption needed because of the text added to the image. With this image, there is a clear statement: pro-choice is the easy way out and it costs many little lives. Both images are resisting abortion: Image 20 resist by spreading the message that pro-life is saving lives of babies, while image 21 resist by showing the consequences of people being pro- choice and support abortion: the lost life of a baby. The emotionally charged images on Instagram are used as tools for resisting abortion and abortion supporters. Significant detail is the fact that the platform Instagram (or other users) does not find these images offensive enough to report them or take them down. The platform therefore enables and allows extreme ways of (resisting) hashtag activism. The images are posted by personal as well as non-personal accounts and #ShoutYourAbortion is added as a hashtag. This demonstrates how hashtags can be used to fight against the original purpose of the hashtag. Spreading content as proof or evidence is the second way of resisting abortion that occurs on Instagram. The content used for this resisting includes online statements made by others, using information provided by others and images created by the user. By spreading content that appears to be valid with information that appears to be true, opponents of abortions

43 try to prove they are right. Moreover, they explain why they are against abortions and try to convince others to be too. Image 22 demonstrates how online statements of others are taken as facts and used to resist abortion. An online post of a pro-life supporter states that abortion provider Planned Parenthood sells baby parts. He adds two images that support his statement as proof. Subsequently, the account @pro_life_1_ 21 reposts his content as proof and evidence to fight against Planned Parenthood.

Image 22: screenshot of evidence provided by others Image 23: screenshot of evidence provided by own account taken on 9-08-2018 taken on 9-04-2018.

Image 2322 exhibits how “evidence” is not only provided by others, but also accounts themselves generate it. The text of the image is literature (not mentioned what book or source) regarding fetal surgery. According to the caption, the monitoring of the heart and using pain drugs during surgery is proof that a fetus is a life alive and especially late term abortion is killing the living. Both posts demonstrate how online content can appear to be true without any evidence: by substantiating it with statements of others or by exposing the “truth” in other content. Thus, Instagram allows for fake facts to be spread on its platform and therefore enables users to resist

21 https://www.instagram.com/p/BfT1ybWHHIB/?tagged=shoutyourabortion 22 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bes2F8KHgYq/?tagged=shoutyourabortion

44 abortions with misleading content. This spreading of fake facts is not only a way of resisting abortion, it can also lead to misinformation. Not all people will recognize the fake facts within these posts, some might take it for the truth. This can affect their choices. Thus, the spreading of fake facts on Instagram it not harmless or without any risks and can have consequences in the physical world. Instagram enables fake facts to appear to be true by allowing this kind of content on the platform. Moreover, the likes, comments and mentioning of others will add validation to these posts.

5.2.3 Offline art for online activism The third narrative of Instagram is supporting abortion with announcements of (offline) art, offline art for online activism. The announcing of the different artworks spreads the awareness and breaks the stigma surrounding abortion. The use of Instagram helps different artists and their supporters to widely spread the art and to reach more people in a short period of time. Furthermore, it shows how online effort can transform into offline results. The announced artwork come in different types, including tote bags, fashion lines, virtual reality documentaries and home crafted art. The artwork is created to spread the message of supporting abortions and Instagram helps to further spread that message. Through the hashtag, Instagram allows for the activism art the possibility to cross borders and continents. Users can view, support and share each other’s art through the digital platform without having to be in the same place or time zone. The announcing of art is a way of generating attention. If certain artworks are not discussed online, less people would be aware of the art and the purpose behind it. Moreover, the announcing of art supports the artists, who supports abortion. Image 2423 shows the post by @bust_magazine regarding the fashion line designed by Jordan Christianson for Shout Your Abortion. The account of Bust Magazine has over 70K followers, therefore, this post will generate not only lots of attention for the designer but also for the movement of Shout Your Abortion. Moreover, announcing this type of artwork can generate a feeling of support amongst its followers for abortion.

23 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfd8KVHni88/?tagged=shoutyourabortion

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Image 24: Screenshot of offline art for online activism Image 25: screenshot of offline initiative for online activism . taken on 12-04-2018. taken on 12-04-2018.

The connection between online activism and offline initiatives is demonstrated in image 2524. The post contains the announcement of a virtual reality documentary. This documentary contains of a story about girl that is unplanned pregnant. Throughout the VR documentary the viewer gets to explore the story of the girl and her options regarding her pregnancy. The VR documentary also contains real life stories of women who have had an abortion. Another way of supporting abortion is through the announcing and sharing of offline art25. For example, the post in image 26 and 27 announces that abortion supportive art will be available soon to download. By announcing this art, the followers of the account become aware of their options to support abortions, for example, by printing out and spreading the artwork. Without the use of Instagram, the account would not have reached as many people and the artwork would have gotten less attention. Moreover, the post shows how online and offline initiatives are inherently connected.

24 https://www.instagram.com/p/BfNV03HnT1t/ 25 https://www.instagram.com/p/BfRECs2BBpF/?tagged=shoutyourabortion

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Image 26: Screenshot of abortion supportive offline art Image 27: screenshot of abortion supportive art taken on taken on 24-06-2018. 24-06-2018.

This section demonstrates how online activism can be supported through offline (art) initiatives. Even though offline art is used for an online activism movement, the offline initiatives will still be announcement through the digital platform. Thus, the digital platform also plays a key role in the spreading and announcing offline art. Supporting through art creates an opportunity to spread the message of #ShoutYourAbortion in a subtle way because it is not ‘in your face’ activism. Some people will be interested in the art itself but at the same time will receive the message of #ShoutYourAbortion. Thus, they are contributing to raising awareness and breaking the stigma surrounding abortion. The use of offline art for online activism also demonstrates how digital movements have physical elements and experiences. These physical experiences come forward in multiple ways: first, the physical experience of abortions and second, the offline art. Thus, even though #ShoutYourAbortion is a digital movement it is grounded in physical experience.

The analysis of the user-generated content demonstrates three different narratives that are most present on Twitter: providing motivational support and encouragement through personal accounts, resisting abortion by attacking providers and movements and lastly, announcing and informing. On Instagram, the user-generated content includes the narratives of selfies, photographs and social sharing, shocks and fake facts, and lastly, offline art. The narratives on

47 the platforms show similarities: the selfies are a personal way of supporting abortion on Instagram and on Twitter the users show their support with words. On Instagram abortions are resisted by spreading fake facts and shocking images, while on Twitter, users are personally attacking movements and supporters. Additionally, both platforms include offline elements: on Twitter this is announcing of offline tours, while on Instagram the focus is on offline art. Even though there are similarities, the analysis also shows the differences in narratives and content. This is due to the character and affordances of the platforms. The features and the character of the platforms shape and influence the users’ behaviour. The affordances of the platforms differ from each other. Therefore, the different affordances will allow and result in different behaviour. The differences in behaviour and content of #ShoutYourAbortion movement will be explored in the next section. This section will contain a content analysis of the official Instagram and Twitter account of #ShoutYourAbortion.

48 VI. #ShoutYourAbortion movement stories For the second part of the analysis, the content posted by the official accounts of #ShoutYourAbortion on Twitter and Instagram will be analysed. For this section, the categorizing is not based on the function of the post, but on the focus of the content: where is the attention focused on? The categories for Twitter and Instagram are: drawing attention to third party content, drawing attention to Shout Your Abortion content and drawing attention to user’s content.

6.1 Twitter: @ShoutYrAbortion The official Twitter account of #ShoutYourAbortion has posted around the fifteen hundred tweets and almost two thousand and five hundred people are following the account (image 28).

Image 28: Screenshot of Twitter page @ShoutYrAbortion taken on 23-03-2018.

The profile picture of the account is an image of a (female) hand that holds a button with #ShoutYourAbortion on it. The header of the account is a picture of a building with the text “abortion is normal”. The biography states the slogan of the movement: “Abortion is normal. Our stories are ours to tell. This is not a debate. #ShoutYourAbortion”. The Twitter account is created in September 2015 and the location is set on the United States of America. The Twitter account has almost 1500 posts and 2500 followers. During the time period, the official account26 of Shout Your Abortion has tweeted 29 times.

6.1.1. Retweeting and link sharing The first narratives that occurs on the official account of Shout Your Abortion is drawing attention to user’s content by retweeting. The retweeted content is originally posted by users that have added #ShoutYourAbortion to their tweets. Due to the platform, the Shout Your

26 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ITNMv0xG4OWVmlnZrZ-6XgAJu5h1TK3pBfN2Xxe1kHY/edit#gid=739725908

49 Abortion movement can easily retweet and share the content of its users and therefore, spreads the content to a larger public. Moreover, it allows the movement to literally spread the message of #ShoutYourAbortion by providing the opportunity to easily spread the abortion stories of the users.

Image 29: Screenshot of retweet by Shout Your Abortion taken on 26-03-2018.

Image 29 shows the tweet of a personal account being shared on the Twitter account of Shout Your Abortion. With this retweet, the movement is not only spreading personal stories but is also contributing to increasing the credibility of #ShoutYourAbortion: it demonstrates the hashtag is still active and is used for the purpose it was originally created for. Furthermore, chances are that not all Twitter users will add their story to the Shout Your Abortion website but will use the platform for sharing their story. This is due to various reasons: the stories can be shorter and simpler (hence the fact that the tweet has a maximum of 280 characters). Moreover, it easier to quickly generate a tweet on a platform that most of the users update daily than to write a full story for a website. By retweeting, the movement still in some way (temporarily) archives and collects these Twitter abortion stories of the users without having them to add to the website. Subsequently, the Shout Your Abortion Twitter account functions as a ladder for the user to reach a bigger audience. The second narrative that occurs on the Shout Your Abortion account is using links and images for drawing attention to own content. By sharing the links, the movement uses Twitter as a tool for more than just spreading tweets: it also uses Twitter to promote or announce own content. For example, image 30 shows how the movement uses the online platform for informing about their (offline) event the Bible Belt Storytelling Tour.

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Image 30: Screenshot of Shout Your Abortion link sharing tweet taken on 26-03-2018.

Using the platform to share information about the tour and adding a link for more information allows the movement to reach a bigger audience. Due to the fact that the followers of the Twitter account are interested in the movement and their tweets, makes that the followers are at the same time the targeted audience of the movement. Therefore, the narrative of sharing links for drawing attention to own content is showing how the platform Twitter can be used to reach the targeted audience of the movement. Link sharing is also used for drawing the attention to the content of the website. Image 31 shows how the link to an abortion story of the website is shared.

Image 31: screenshot of Shout Your Abortion link sharing tweet taken on 26-03-2018.

The sharing of the website’s link can generate more readers of the abortion story. Not all followers of the Twitter account will look daily on the Shout Your Abortion website but will look on their Twitter timeline on a daily basis. Therefore, Twitter allows the movement to more effectively spread and share their content. The third narrative of the Shout Your Abortion Twitter is the drawing attention to third party content by retweeting. The platform allows for retweeting in two ways: retweeting by adding a caption or retweeting without a caption.

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Image 32: Screenshot of Shout Your Abortion retweeting @AbortionCare taken on 26-03-2018.

Third party content is only shared when the tweet mentions the movement or if the post has the same purpose as the movement: destigmatizing and supporting abortion. Image 32 demonstrates the movement sharing a tweet of Abortion Care Network. The tweet is about refusing to be ashamed about abortion, thus, has the same purpose as the Shout Your Abortion movement. However, the used hashtag for this tweet is #EndAbortionDeception. Although the #ShoutYourAbortion is not used, the movement is mentioned. Therefore, the content is valuable for the movement to share on its own timeline. By adding the caption, the tweet is not only sharing the message of the third-party content but is also a tool for reacting to the third party. The heart emoticons are a way of thanking and supporting the third party. The movement also retweets without adding extra captions. This way of retweeting is done for spreading the original post with the Shout Your Abortion followers. Image 33 shows @ShoutYrAbortion retweeting @bust_magazine.

Image 33: Screenshot of @bust_magazine retweet by Shout Your Abortion taken on 26-03-2018.

52 The original tweet is retweeted by the movement because the article of Bust Magazine contains a story about Lindy West, one of the founders of Shout Your Abortion. By retweeting third party content, the movement is not only gaining attention for Bust Magazine but is also drawing attention to the movement itself. Therefore, drawing attention to third party content is benefiting the movement and is a way of promoting.

Thus, Twitter allows the movement for drawing attention to user’s and third-party content by retweeting and drawing attention to own content by link sharing. The platform enables the movement to spread content with a wider audience, while add the same time reach the targeted audience. Moreover, it allows the movement to interact and react to relevant tweets.

6.2 Instagram: @shoutyourabortion The Instagram feed of the movement contains almost 700 posts (image 34). The biography of this Instagram account says: “Abortion is normal. Our stories are ours to tell. This story is not a debate”. Additionally, the account has a link to the official webpage of Shout Your Abortion: wwww.shoutyourabortion.com/. During the time period, from the first of February until the first of March, the account27 has uploaded seventeen posts spread over fourteen days.

Image 34: Screenshot of Shout Your Abortion Instagram account taken on 17-07-2018.

6.2.1. Pictures of people and textual images The first narrative that occurs on the Instagram account of Shout Your Abortion is using pictures for drawing attention to third parties. This narrative includes reposts as well as original content generated by Shout Your Abortion. Subsequently, pictures of people as well as pictures of text are used for drawing attention to third party content. The reposting of content with pictures is done by the Shout Your Abortion account to draw attention to the account that posted the content as well as drawing attention to the person on the picture.

27 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ITNMv0xG4OWVmlnZrZ-6XgAJu5h1TK3pBfN2Xxe1kHY/edit#gid=739725908

53 For example, image 35 shows the picture of the artist making a mural painting on a wall of an abortion clinic to support the visitors. This picture is reposted by Shout Your Abortion to not only draw attention to the post of @onesevennine, but more importantly to demonstrate how this person is supporting abortions and its providers. The reposting of pictures that include people makes the content more personal and shows the faces of people that support the message of #ShoutYourAbortion.

Image 35: Screenshot of @onesevennine repost by Shout Your Abortion taken on 24-03-2018.

The Instagram account of Shout Your Abortion draws the most attention to the content of Bust Magazine. The reason why Shout Your Abortion is giving this much attention to Bust Magazine on their Instagram, is the fact that the magazine writes multiple articles about the movement. Moreover, the magazine and movement have collaborated with outcomes such as a fashion line dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding abortion. Thus, the attention between the magazine and movement goes both ways. The magazine gives attention to the movement and vice versa: the movement gives the magazine attention (on Instagram). The Instagram of Shout Your Abortion shares the content of Bust Magazine that includes the movement. The content contains interviews with leading figures of the movement such as Lindy West and Amelia Bonow. Image 36 shows how Shout Your Abortion mentions the current issue of Bust

54 Magazine that includes an interview with Lindy West. Here, the post is generating attention to Bust Magazine, the Shout Your Abortion movement and to Lindy West.

Image 36: Screenshot of post about Bust Magazine taken on 26-03-2-18.

Instagram is used for drawing attention to the movement by drawing attention to third party content. Moreover, third party content is only used when the movement or related people are mentioned. The second narrative is drawing attention to own content with textual images/quotes. Here, Shout Your Abortion takes out pieces of stories that are posted on their website as images to announce these stories. The quotes are one or two sentences of an abortion story. By sharing a small part of the story, the followers get encouraged to follow their curiosity and read the whole story on the website of Shout Your Abortion. Image 37 shows an example of using a quote/textual image to draw attention to the Shout Your Abortion’s own content.

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Image 37: Screenshot of quote by Shout Your Abortion taken on 26-03-2018.

Moreover, by sharing the quotes of abortion stories, the Instagram account is used for fulfilling the movements purpose: sharing abortion stories. Here, the Instagram accounts is used for sharing personal stories from others posted on the Shout Your Abortion movement. Thus, the movement is using Instagram as a way of promoting (the content on) their website. This is also shown in the posts with quotes that link to the website. By providing the users the link to the story, Instagram is used a tool to support and enhance the activity on the website. Moreover, Instagram provides the movement an extra platform besides their website to spread and enable the goal of the movement.

The analysis of the official content posted by #ShoutYourAbortion content on Twitter and Instagram explores different narratives. On Twitter, it shows the narratives of retweets and links for drawing attention to user’s content, using links and images for drawing attention to own content and retweeting for drawing attention to third party content. On Instagram, the narratives of pictures and quotes for drawing attention to third party content and textual images for drawing attention to own content occur.

56 VII. #ShoutYourAbortion as hashtag activism The case study of #ShoutYourAbortion show the use of different platforms are allowing for different narratives to take place and how affordances and feature of platforms shape the behaviour and content of not only personal accounts of users but also of organized movement accounts. The two perspectives (users and movement) demonstrate how different narratives can be part of hashtag activism, and how both platforms are enabling these narratives. Moreover, it shows how digital platforms intervene (Gillespie 2). The platforms intervene with hashtag activism and allow for a public culture and public discourse (Ibid.). The intervening in hashtag activism occurs through the affordances and features of the platforms but also by deleting of users’ posts (on Twitter). It shows how the politics of platforms are contributing to the hashtag activism by resisting and removing the back lash of #ShoutYourAbortion when borders of the platform regarding content are overstepped. Thus, the digital platforms allow for hashtag activism to take place between certain boundaries and behaviour. Digital platforms therefore intervene with the public discourse that comes with the hashtag activism: by deciding what is allowed and what is not allowed to post and spread online. This shows how digital platforms enable and shape a public culture through their design (Gillespie 2). Additionally, digital platforms shape the conversation regarding abortion and shape the conversation of and between #ShoutYourAbortion content.

7.1 #ShoutYourAbortion: Movement The analysis of Shout Your Abortion content on Twitter and Instagram shows a lot of similarities. This is due to the fact that posted content on both platforms partly overlaps: the movement uploads some of the same content and pictures on the platforms. The content that is posted on both platform looks different due to the characteristics of the platforms, but the overall message of these posts is the same. The reason for the movement to share some of the content on both platform is to ensure this content reaches as much people as possible: some users might not have Twitter, and some might not have Instagram. Thus, this content is important for the movement to make sure all followers receive it. While the users of #ShoutYourAbortion are more active on Instagram (more posts on Instagram then on Twitter), the movement of #ShoutYourAbortion is more active and posts more regularly on Twitter. This difference is due to a couple of reasons. First, Twitter allows for quick and easy reposting of other content, while reposting on Instagram needs the use of another app. Therefore, the movement does not use Instagram to draw attention to user’s content, while Twitter is frequently used for this purpose. Second, the features of Instagram

57 allow adding multiple hashtags to one post, thus one can add thirty hashtags to one post and this will result in the content being archived under multiple hashtags. While on Twitter, users have a maximum of 280 characters, thus the more hashtags they use, the less characters they have left for their post. This means, more content will be added to the hashtag on Instagram because users can simply add more and will use more hashtags (even if the hashtags are not relevant for the content). Third, an Instagram account functions as an archive, the content that is posted on the timeline will be stored on the profile. Therefore, not all content will be suitable to post/archive, because it will affect the overall look of the account. The feed of #ShoutYourAbortion28 movement has certain characteristics: it uses bright colours, edited pictures and appears creative. Content that does not “fit” this bright, creative character is unsuitable to use and will therefore be not (re)posted because it will negatively affect the overall look of the Instagram account. Thus, content made by others will most likely not fit the specific character of the #ShoutYourAbortion Instagram feed and is therefore way less used compared to the Twitter account. Twitter does not function as an archive; the focus is more on spreading text then visual appealing content. Therefore, content of others is suitable for using and reposting. On Twitter, the movement uses more content of others to draw attention to itself (by reposting or sharing content of others to announce or inform about Shout Your Abortion) then using own content. Thus, while the movement uses own content for drawing attention to the movement on Instagram, she uses content of others to draw attention to the movement on Twitter. The differences in the use of and the content on the platforms shows how the platform influences hashtag activism. Moreover, it demonstrates how the platform itself is an important factor in the process of creating and spreading content or as McLuhan states how “the medium is the message” (1). The narratives of the movement on Twitter and Instagram have some overlap while at the same time differ. As stated earlier, the movement uses Twitter for retweeting and link sharing to draw attention to user’s content, third party content as well as own content. Here, Twitter enables hashtag activism by providing the movement the tools for achieving the goal of speaking up and sharing stories about abortion to break the stigma. The platform provides opportunities for the movement to shed light on the personal stories of the users with the retweet and link sharing features. Additionally, the retweeting allows the movement to use content made by others to draw attention to the movement, instead of only using own content. When

28 https://www.instagram.com/shoutyourabortion/

58 self-created content is posted, the movement adds links to other sources, such as the website, newsletters or events. Thus, Twitter enables hashtag activism by creating providing multiple ways of drawing attention to the activist movement and its goal: using content of others and allowing to include links to further inform and raise awareness. Moreover, using links for directing Twitter followers to the website of Shout Your Abortion builds the strength of the movement and generates more attention. Drawing attention to third party content by retweeting is done when the third-party content contributes to the message of the movement to support, speak up and inform about abortions. Here, the platform enables hashtag activism by providing opportunities for finding and reposting valuable and relevant content for the movement. When third party content includes #ShoutYourAbortion, the movement can easily find this content and is able to use it to actively fight against the abortion stigma. In the same way as Twitter, Instagram functions as a tool for the movement to draw attention to the movement as well as to third parties. However, user’s content is not used on this platform. For drawing attention to the movement and to third parties, the movement choses to share content that includes pictures of people. This content is created either by the movement or copied from third parties. Here, the image focused character of Instagram enables for hashtag activism in multiple ways. The content that includes the pictures of pepole supports the hashtag activist movement itself, supports the third parties that post regarding the movement and supports the people (in the pictures) who are contributing to the movement. Thus, the platform opens up new ways of activism, new ways of supporting activism, new ways of sharing content that is related to the purpose of the activism and new ways of connecting people and organizations for the purpose of activism. Instagram is also used by Shout Your Abortion for spreading own content to draw attention to the movement. This is done through textual images that include quotes. These quotes are part of abortion stories told by different people. The movement uses these posts to show the purpose and the way the movement functions: people tell their personal stories, these stories are shared and talked about, and will hopefully lead to more understanding and supporting for abortion providers, supporters and people who have had an abortion. Here, Instagram enables hashtag activism by providing new ways of activism: activism through online visual content. Even though, the content is written text, the visual element of it being an image on Instagram will help quickly spread a part of the story. Without having to read the caption or even the whole story, with two sentences per image another story of a person is shared with the rest of the Instagram users. Moreover, as stated earlier, Instagram functions as an archive. Thus, the content posted by the movement can always be found on Instagram and therefore is an ongoing process of activism.

59 7.2 #ShoutYourAbortion: Users As states earlier, digital platforms allow for different narrative opportunities (Anderson & Mack 3). The #ShoutYourAbortion stories from users demonstrate how personal stories can now be used as a tool for hashtag activism. Moreover, the platforms allow for different narratives and stories to be heard and spread. The users of Instagram and Twitter use the platforms for spreading content with different functions such as supporting and resisting abortion. Content on both platforms share mutual functions, however, the narratives of the platforms differ. For the users, Twitter functions as a tool for providing personal, motivational support for other people, the movement as well as abortions in general. Using Twitter as a tool for motivating others, shows how Twitter changed feminism by enabling hashtag activism: it changes the communication between feminists (Chamberlain 462). The platform allows for new ways of supporting each other. Moreover, it can be used for encouraging others to contribute to the movement. Here, the platform enables hashtag activism by providing the opportunity for people to publicly support the activist movement, the activist goal and the people that led to the creating of the activist movement: the ones who have had an abortion. The platform enables hashtag activism by providing the users an “easy” way of contributing to the activist movement: with only a couple of characters one could be part of the activist movement, or even by sharing stories of others or simply supporting others by liking their tweets. Additionally, the online platform is used by users to announce offline events. Therefore, the platform allows hashtag activism to reach people for online as well as offline activism. On Twitter the user-generated content is also used for resisting abortion. This resisting is directed to pro-abortion movements, abortion supports, abortion providers and the people who have had an abortion. The resisting is done through sharing of personal, negative abortion stories, verbally attacking supporters and spreading personal opinions. Thus, Twitter not only enables hashtag activism but also provides the backlash of activism for new opportunities to fight against abortions. However, platforms are not neutral, they carry a political valence “where a position must be taken” (Gillespie 350). In the user-generated content analysis of Twitter, results showed that some of the tweets that personally attacked others were deleted. Chances are, the platform deleted this due to the aggressive character of the content or decided to delete it due to other users reporting the content. Here, the platform takes the political position of prohibiting itself from becoming a hateful and aggressive environment online by deleting inappropriate content. Thus, Twitter is not functioning as a neutral platform for digital activism but has a political element that influences the process of digital activism. It interacts with the backlash of hashtag activism by deleting certain content.

60 Nevertheless, the platform enables a certain connection and findability for the conflicting sides. Through the hashtag, opponents can find supporters and vice versa. This way, the debate between pro- or anti-abortion can take a personal turn as the Twitter accounts are most likely personal accounts. Furthermore, Twitter provides hashtag activism the opportunity to start an (online) personal conversation and directly engage with the backlash of the activist movement. This unique aspect is what separates traditional activism from hashtag activism and shows how platforms such as Twitter change activism on a global level. People from all over the world with different point of views can discuss, react and interact with each other about certain subjects. Twitter enables hashtag activism to take place on a bigger scale, moreover, it allows for conflicting sides in a debate to directly engage and interact with each other on a personal (online) level. This is due to the character of Twitter and how it uses and incorporated the digital element of the hashtag in its platform vernacular. As states earlier, the platform allows the hashtag to function as a tool for coordinating a discussion that is distributed between a large number of users (Bruns & Burgess 14). Therefore, the platform allows for hashtag activism and the accompanied discussion to take place. Instagram is used as a tool for spreading selfies and photographs accompanied by social shares. The platform is used for spreading personal stories with a broad audience through the use of the hashtag. The platform enables hashtag activism by providing the opportunity to spread and tell personal stories on a new level: from personal accounts, from anonymous accounts, with personal pictures, with art work, all content will be gathered and stored under the same digital place: the hashtag. Every individual can participate to hashtag activism on Instagram as long as they have an account. Therefore, digital platforms enable hashtag activism by creating a better and easier access for participating. This not only results in supporting abortion, but also shows how Instagram is used for resisting abortion through shocking content and (fake)facts. Users can upload content which does not have to be completely true. Here, Instagram is used as a tool to spread fake or altered facts to convince others. By posting certain statements and content on a digital platform and others having the opportunity to like, share and comment on these statements, this implies the idea that the statements must be true. Because: the more people like or share it, the more it circulates around the web, the more validity it will get. Instagram will not function as a gatekeeper to filter out the content that contains false statements. This is also due to the character of Instagram. Instagram is more focused on creativity and spreading self-created content. As long as other users do not report it, most content will stay on the platform. Therefore, Instagram enables the backlash of activism with new ways to fight back or resist abortion. Instagram enables the backlash by allowing

61 shocking images to spread across the platform. The use of images will leave a bigger imprint on people, especially when this image contains shocking images of babies. Without the hashtag and the platform, the backlash would not have been able to easily spread these images around globally. Instagram is also used as a tool for supporting offline activist art. The platform allows to show examples of offline activist initiatives accompanied with information. This option will enhance the attention and views the offline activist initiatives receive. Thus, digital platforms enable hashtag activism by providing online space for the activism to happen, this results in offline initiatives to create art that will further support the goal of the activist movement and these offline initiatives will in their turn receive online attention for supporting. Here, Instagram is used as a tool for enabling the vicious circle of offline and online activism supporting and strengthening each other. Subsequently, using offline art reinforces that the #ShoutYourAbortion movement is grounded in physical experience. The character of Instagram (focus on visual) allows for art to become a part of hashtag activism. This (offline) art can be made with the purpose of supporting abortion as mentioned above. However, it also includes art that is made without the purpose of supporting abortion, such as using a (random) art image for social sharing. This example shows how digital elements such as the #ShoutYourAbortion can influence the meaning of an image. Or how Olszanowski states: the hashtag anchors the networked image (237). The hashtag enables the image to become a tool for supporting abortion stories and add to the archive of #ShoutYourAbortion on the platform.

Thus, #ShoutYourAbortion shows how the content on the digital platform is depending on the character of the platform. Different platforms, different platform vernaculars, will result in different narratives. This applies to both the individual use of the platforms as the official use by the movement.

7.3 Hashtag activism and digital platforms As stated earlier, platforms used for hashtag activism make up the “ground, foundation and basis for an action” (Gillespie 350). This study demonstrates how digital platforms enable hashtag activism in multiple ways. For the organization of the activist movement itself as well as the individual participants, the use of digital platforms opens up new opportunities. Digital platforms allow for ordinary people to start and contribute to online activist movements. Digital elements, such as the hashtag, provide people an opportunity to reach a public that they would not have been reached in any other way. Every online individual can contribute to the hashtag

62 activist movement in his own way. By creating online narratives and discussing views he finds important, choosing how frequently to participate and in what way to participate with the use of digital platforms. This adds to Baer’s vision that platforms offer potential for distributing feminist ideas and new ways of protesting (19). When one decides to participate and wants take action, the step is easily taken. With the use of the hashtag, one can directly participate in the conversations, communities and topics of the hashtag activism. Additionally, this study shows how people do not even have to leave their home or meet others: they can now take action from their digital devices by themselves. This is in alignment with the earlier mentioned statement that digital platforms function as a tool for engagement and participation for strengthening a network of weak ties without having to psychically be in touch (Veenstra 90). Different digital platforms allow for different ways of activism and therefore are useful to be combined for the same purpose. Moreover, participants as well as movements can choose what kind of digital platform to use and in what way it will be used. Digital platforms enable hashtag activism by providing different options for taking action which will lead to more people participating, since there are more ways and levels to participate. Thus, digital platforms allow for different opportunities that oral or written medium alone (Anderson & Mack) and therefore enable new ways of activism. Online activist movements are an example of this new way of activism. Online activist movements are created with a specific purpose and goal. However, this does not mean this goal is the only one that is pursued. Participants can support the goal of the movement, but the backlash of the movement can pass the original purpose of the movement through their own use and implementation of the tools being provided by the movement, such a certain hashtag. Digital platforms enable hashtag activism by providing activist movements new ways of reaching people, creating content and spreading content. Thus, digital platforms enable individual stories as well as collective initiatives (Baer 18). By enabling individual stories regarding sensitive topics, digital platforms are an online space where loaded topics can be discussed. By supporting this discussion to take place, the platforms contribute to shifting the boundaries of conversations, which can lead to offline change for what is possible for people to talk about (Shaw 382). This reflects to the understanding that online movements can produce offline results (Clark 791). Thus, by enabling hashtag activism, digital platforms contribute to offline results. Features of digital platforms, such as retweeting, sharing, liking, commenting are providing new ways of participating in activism. Combining digital platforms with activism has lowered the threshold for people to participate and has transcended borders and countries by enabling easy (online) connection between strangers. Moreover, digital platforms are a turning point for activism by providing the opportunity for hashtag activism. The mutual

63 element of the hashtag allows for archiving, spreading, sharing, finding and participating to the activism on different digital platforms. The hashtag allows the activist movements as well as participants to be active on multiple platforms, for different narratives to take place and therefore, digital platforms enable all the action in hashtag activism.

64 VIII. From digital initiatives to physical changes This study shows digital platforms enable hashtag activism. It explores the different narratives that take place on digital platforms. The case study of #ShoutYourAbortion demonstrates that online activist movements are influenced by digital platforms through the shaping of behaviour and content, and by the character of the platforms. Additionally, #ShoutYourAbortion shows in what ways the purpose of an online activist movement is carried out by the movement, participants, supporters and opponents differently. Thus, #ShoutYourAbortion is demonstrating how hashtag feminism has created a turning point in feminism by providing new ways of speaking and connecting. Most importantly, it shows how digital platform enable hashtag feminism, which results in the shifting of boundaries to discuss sensitive topics. Moreover, how digital activism can influence and change public discourse (Yang 13). This study counts some limitations. One of these limitations is the use of the digital platform Twitter for content analysis and the relationship between Twitter and time. As mentioned earlier, Twitter is the platform for immediate action. However, for archiving content the platform is less suitable. Moreover, tweets disappear or are no longer accessible after a period of time (Faltesek 78). These time limitations are influencing the outcome of the study, by deciding the dates and the available data being analysed. Additionally, another limitation of this study is the extent and size of the dataset. This study acknowledges the years of effort and amount of content the #ShoutYourAbortion has costs and produced. Therefore, using the case study of #ShoutYourAbortion is not included in this study for giving the representation of the movement but functions as an example to explore the bigger picture of how digital platforms enable hashtag activism. Regardless of the limitations, this study contributes to the understanding of the new role of digital platforms in activism and how digital platforms enable new ways of activism. In the light of recent events, such as Repeal the 8th, it becomes clear that online activist movements and digital platforms are important topics to study as they are now changing laws and lives. People have become aware of how they can use and make use of digital platforms for bigger purposes. Repeal the 8th is an example of why and how online activist movements are needed for offline change: fighting for equality, women’s rights, and against sexism through (hashtag) activism on digital platforms. Online activist movements, digital platforms and hashtag activism are creating new ways of feminism that result in changes in the physical world. For further research, this study recommends to continue researching the repurposing of digital platforms for hashtag activism/feminism and shedding light on new online activist movements to display the relevance and importance of these digital initiatives for the physical world.

65 Similar to the effort and study that went into previous waves of feminism, hashtag feminism needs the same amount of focus and attention. Hashtag feminism is already making significant, much needed changes (Repeal the 8th and #ShoutYourAbortion) and will continue doing so. These changes are breaking stigma’s and taboos and are opening up the discussions that will not only improve the lives of women but of many others as well. It is important to keep track of these changes and keep spreading these stories in order to keep them happening. Our stories are ours to tell.

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