Hashtag activism in Russia: theory and practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT The mediatization of social practices has brought new trends and forms of activism to life in society. This paper seeks to explain the theoretical basis for and provide conceptual insight into the Russian practice of hashtag activism – a phenomenon that has become an integral part of contemporary media activism and is of burgeoning interest to both Russian and foreign researchers. Moreover, this phenomenon is equally relevant to the study of the mediatization of politics more widely. Thus, the aim of the paper is to measure the level of the hashtag activism in Russia. This paper presents the results of the survey on social and political issues among young Russians, compares real activism with media activism, and discusses the role of hashtags in social media activism through the lens of several high profiles, public political events that took place in Russia between 2019 and 2020.