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#MeToo and Social Media

It started with a tweet on October 15, 2017. Alyssa Milano, a successful actress, wife, and

mother, made a public plea to women. She wrote, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted

write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” The #MeToo hashtag trended worldwide, and the internet

was flooded with personal stories about sexual misconduct. The movement caused shockwaves

around the country, most notably in Hollywood with Harvey Weinstein. Countless women came

forward, and soial media became an incredibly valuable stage for survivors. The internet and

social networks both played a critical role in the movement’s growth and widespread reach.

Social media is a relatively new concept, yet its power is undeniable. While some may

argue that it is a waste of time and an unhealthy obsession, it has also given women an

opportunity to share their sexual assault experiences. On October 15, Twitter was flooded with

#MeToo. Milano posted at noon, and by the end of the day, she had been retweeted over

200,000 times (Plufm). It is important to note that the movement originated nearly a decade ago.

Tarana Burke created a nonprofit organization called “Just Be Inc,” where she hoped to help

victims of sexual assault and harassment. In 2007, she named her movement “Me Too” (Garcia).

Milano’s tweet simply catapulted the phrase into peoples’ minds, and the movement gained more

momentum than Burke ever anticipated. She began to panic when the hashtag went viral,

because she was afraid that her initial message would be misconstrued. Burke said, “I felt a sense

of dread, because something that was part of my life’s work was going to be co-opted and taken

from me and used for a purpose that I hadn’t originally intended” (Garcia). However, Burke’s

anxieties settled after she witnessed what was occurring on social media. Facebook had over 12

million #MeToo stories shared within the first day. Survivors finally had a platform to share their

stories, and they felt comfortable due to the immense amount of support on social media.
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Through the emergence of #MeToo, several high-profile individuals have been outed as

rapists and harassers. Harvey Weinstein could have been considered one of the most successful

film producers to date. At 66 years old, his net worth was estimated at $300 million. Ten days

before Milano tweeted, the New York Times published an article that detailed countless

allegations against Weinstein, specifically coming from Rose McGowan (BBC News). The

article was a catalyst for what was to come. Within days, Weinstein had been terminated from

his company and his wife announced that she was leaving him. The entire world was watching

Weinstein’s life basically disappear in front of him, as a total of 80 women came forward. They

told decade-old stories about rape, threats, and non-consensual touching. Men were finally being

held accountable for their actions, regardless of how much power they had. The outpouring of

support on social media was astounding. Celebrities and industry-insiders stood with survivors,

and it gave a glimmer of hope to victims everywhere.

One notable story was that of Stephanie Angstadt, a 17-year-old girl living in a

Mississippi group home. At the time of her assault, she was only 15. She was abused by her

father and was consequently placed in protective custody. The lawsuit against her father ended in

no formal charges, and Angstadt says her “life got flipped in result” (Plufm). She tweeted

#MeToo after seeing Milano’s tweet and thousands of others. She was met with immense

support from strangers, which allowed her to feel much less isolated. Angstadt is now 18 years

old, has been living on her own. She is considering going to law school, as the #MeToo

movement has inspired her to help other women. It is incredible to think about the number of

women whose lives have been changed from this trend. The simple use of a hashtag has truly

impacted lives in more ways than imaginable.

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It is safe to say that no one anticipated the effects that this movement would have on

culture, and especially on politics. However, that is exactly what took place in the case of Brett

Kavanaugh. On July 30, 2018, Christine Blasey Ford privately sent a letter to Dianne Feinstein

detailing the assault by Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh years before. A month and a half

later, the allegations went public in The New Yorker. Ford’s name did not get released until a

one-on-one interview with The Washington Post (Kelly). Throughout this sequence of events,

more women came out about Kavanaugh. He vehemently denied all allegations and was

determined to prove himself. Many Republicans sided with him and accused Ford and the other

women of lying. There was an immense amount of hatred and mistrust on both sides. However,

after a brief investigation and trial, Kavanaugh was sworn into the Supreme Court. The issue of

sexual assault in the wake of #MeToo became political, and it was evident that this movement

had incredible power. Many felt defeated after the decision to approve him and worried that

nothing was changing, because men were still getting away with assault. Social media blew up

during this time; #MeToo was trending, as well as #WeBelieveYou. Companies were taking a

stand against Kavanaugh, which was unexpected. Even though the decision did not turn out the

way many originally hoped, there was no denying the fact that the world was listening.

Across different cultures, languages, and borders, #MeToo persisted. The hashtag was

used in over 80 countries as of November, a month after Milano initially tweeted. In January,

women’s marches took place across the world. Catherine Powell of the Council on Foreign

Relations wrote, “The digital campaign had real-world results.” In fact, the Defense Secretary in

Great Britain quit following sexual assault allegations. France adopted the hashtag

#BalanceTonPorc, which translates to “snitch out your pig” (Powell). Regardless of language

and location, the idea behind the movement remained constant. Data from Twitter found that the
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hashtag #MeToo was used most in the United States, India, France, Canada, and the United

Kingdom. It is remarkable to see how far the movement was able to travel in such a short amount

of time. Shockingly, the King of Sweden even had a few words about the trend. He said, “It's

probably good that you look under old rocks. In the end something good will probably come of

this” (Powell). Social media and the #MeToo movement endured through language barriers as

well as physical borders to make an incredible impact on the world.

Social media is a place for selfies, dog videos, and witty memes, but it has also become a

platform to promote change. In the era of “fake news,” the trust that people once had in the

media and news has been dwindling. However, through all of this mistrust, one movement was

able to make waves and impact peoples’ lives all over the world. The reach of #MeToo extended

through Hollywood and even into the politics of the United States. The hashtag was born on

social media and continues to thrive through countless social networks. Now, a little over a year

since the first tweet, #MeToo is a household term. Women from across the world have been able

to cultivate a network of supporters through the simple use of the hashtag. So, while some may

criticize Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks for their addictive attributes and time-

wasting abilities, it is impossible to ignore the power of social media when looking through the

lens of the #MeToo movement.

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Works Cited

Garcia, Sandra. “The Woman Who Created #MeToo Long Before Hashtags.” The New York

Times, Oct. 20, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/us/me-too- movement-tarana-

burke.html

“Harvey Weinstein Timeline: How the Scandal Unfolded.” BBC News, Sept. 19, 2018.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-41594672

Kelly, Erin and Jessica Estepa. “Brett Kavanaugh: A Timeline of Allegations Against the

Supreme Court Nominee.” USA Today, Sept. 24, 2018.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/09/24/brett-

kavanaugh-allegations-timeline-supreme-court/1408073002/

Plufm, Mary. “A Year Ago, Alyssa Milano Started a Conversation About #MeToo. These

Women Replied.” NBC News, Oct. 15, 2018. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-

news/year-ago-alyssa-milano-started-conversation-about-metoo-these-women-

n920246

Powell, Catherine. “#MeToo Goes Global and Crosses Multiple Boundaries” Council on

Foreign Relations, Dec. 14, 2017. https://www.cfr.org/blog/metoo-goes-global- and-

crosses-multiple-boundaries