Arseam

International Journal of E Government & E Business Research

FROM HASHTAGS TO ACTION: THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MOVEMENTS ON YOUTH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Samaya Chauhan, Dr. Rusha Mudgal

Samaya Chauhan, Amity International School, New Delhi

Dr. Rusha Mudgal, Amity School of Communications, Amity University Haryana

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17940627 Page No : 25-40

Published Online : 2025-11-29

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ABSTRACT

Social media has become a transformative arena for contemporary youth activism, providing platforms that amplify voices, mobilize communities, and challenge socio-political structures. This study examines the influence of social media movements on youth, focusing on how digital platforms shape attitudes, behaviors, and civic engagement. Through case studies including early digital mobilizations such as the #MeToo movement (2006/2017) to subsequent global and regional campaigns including Fridays for Future (2018), the Farmers’ Protest in India (2020–2021), and Nepal’s youth-led Enough is Enough movement (2020), the research explores the interplay between online mobilization and real-world activism.

The study employs a qualitative approach, combining secondary analysis of campaign case studies with primary interviews of young people aged 18–25 to understand their perceptions and participation in these movements. Findings are expected to reveal both empowering aspects (such as identity formation, political awareness, and collective solidarity) and challenges (including performative activism, misinformation, and digital fatigue). The study underlines the critical role of social media in shaping youth consciousness and highlights its potential as a tool for constructive social change in the digital age.

Keywords: Social media movements; youth activism; Youth, Gen Z; digital protests; online mobilization; civic engagement; digital activism

References

Alodat, A. M., Al-Qora’n, L. F., & Abu Hamoud, M. M. (2023). Social media platforms and political participation: A study of Jordanian youth engagement. Social Sciences, 12(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12070402
BBC. (2022, August 3). Gen Z: How young people are changing activism. BBC Worklife. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220803-gen-z-how-young-people-are-changing-activism
Cabrera, N. L., Matias, C. E., & Montoya, R. (2017). Activism or slacktivism? The potential and pitfalls of social media in contemporary student activism. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 10(4), 400–415. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000061
Costanilla, S. E. R. B., St. Domingo, L. D. K., Regala, E. M., Chavez, W. L. B., Ramirez, K. A. P., Villaflor, L. Z. P., Cervantes, R. R. L., & Largo, A. J. V. (2025). Digital voices: The role of online activism on students’ perspectives and behavior toward social issues. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 9(01), 1205-1225. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9010102
De Moor, J., Uba, K., Wahlström, M., Wennerhag, M., & De Vydt, M. (2020). Protest for a future: Composition, mobilization and motives of the participants in Fridays for Future climate protests. Sustainability, 12(3), 1252. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031252
Fernández-Zubieta, A., Guevara, J. A., Caballero Roldan, R., & Robles, J. M. (2023). Digital activism masked―The Fridays for Future movement and the “Global Day of Climate Action”: Testing social function and framing typologies of claims on Twitter. Social Sciences, 12(12), 676. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12120676
Freelon, D., McIlwain, C., & Clark, M. (2018). Beyond the hashtags: #Ferguson, #Blacklivesmatter, and the online struggle for offline justice. Oxford University Press.
Gurung, A. (2022). Youth and climate justice: Social media activism in Nepal. Environmental Sociology, 8(4), 355–369.
Gupta, A., Tyagi, M., & Sharma, R. (2018). Viral social media campaigns and health awareness: The case of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Journal of Health Communication, 23(6), 545–552.
Heggart, K., & Flowers, R. (2024). Contemporary youth social movements. In K. Heggart & R. Flowers (Eds.), Education for social change: Perspectives on global citizenship education (1st ed.). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/read-online/358513b4-7cd7-4421-8f8a-a89e63df373f/chapter/pdf?context=ubx
Human Rights Education Review. (n.d.). The power of social media in youth activism [Article]. Human Rights Education Review. https://doi.org/10.7577/hrer.4958
Kumar, S., Sharma, A., & Verma, V. (2021). Social media a tool for social and political inclusion among youth: A study of Indian university students. Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(1), 82–89. https://doi.org/10.12944/CRJSSH.4.1.08
Maltby, J., Rayes, T., Nage, A., Sharif, S., Omar, M., & Nichani, S. (2024). Synthesizing perspectives: Crafting an interdisciplinary view of social media’s impact on young people’s mental health. PLoS ONE, 19(7), e0307164. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307164
Mendes, K., Ringrose, J., & Keller, J. (2019). Digital feminist activism: #MeToo and the everyday experiences of challenging rape culture. Feminist Media Studies, 19(3), 379–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2019.1603242
Oden, A., & Porter, L. (2023, July). The kids are online: Teen social media use, civic engagement, and affective polarization. Social Media + Society, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051231186364
Pandit, M., Magadum, T., Mittal, H., & Kushwaha, O. (2025). Digital natives, digital activists: Youth, social media and the rise of environmental sustainability movements. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.10158
Phillips, C. (2024). Digital communication and the rise of online activism. Journal of Communication, 5(3), 31–44. https://doi.org/10.47941/jcomm.1983
Rezaei, M., & Owens, P. E. (2023). Young humans make change, young users click: Creating youth-centered networked social movements. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.07541
Robertson, S., & Baker, P. (2017). Men’s health promotion and digital activism: The case of Movember. Journal of Men’s Health, 13(4), e44–e52.
Shah, M. A., & Khan, Z. (2023). The role of youth activism in facilitating social change: A catalyst for transformation in the contemporary era. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.55737/qjssh.575688089
Sumadevi, S. (2023, October). Impact of social media on youth: Comprehensive analysis. Shodh Sari-An International Multidisciplinary Journal, 2(4), 286-301. https://doi.org/10.59231/SARI7640
Tarlo, E., & Moitra, S. (2018). Digital politics and the Nirbhaya protests. South Asian Popular Culture, 16(1), 1–14.
Thapa, R. (2021). Youth activism and digital protests in Nepal: The case of ‘Enough is Enough.’ Journal of South Asian Development, 16(2), 220–239.
Tass, M. A., & Malik, I. (2025). Driving environmental change: The impact of social media on Gen Z's sustainability efforts. South Eastern European Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.70135/seejph.vi.3639
WeAreRestless. (2024, November 11). The power of social media in youth activism: Amplifying voices for justice. https://wearerestless.org/2024/11/11/the-power-of-social-media-in-youth-activism-amplifying-voices-for-justice/
Wilf, S., & Wray-Lake, L. (2023). Development and validation of the Youth Sociopolitical Action Scale for Social Media (SASSM). Adolescent Research Review, 1–14. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-023-00208-w
World Health Organization Europe. (2021). Youth4Health: Engaging young people in digital health promotion. WHO Regional Office Report. https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/youth/youth4health
World Wildlife Fund. (2021). Harnessing digital platforms for environmental awareness: The case of Earth Hour. WWF Reports. https://www.worldwildlife.org/
Ziv, H., & Yavetz, A. (2025). Echo chambers and civic polarization among youth online: The cost of algorithmic engagement. Information Society Journal, 41(1), 67–84.

Cite this article as: Samaya C & Rusha M (2025), “From Hashtags to Action: The Impact of Social Media Movements on Youth Civic Engagement”, International Journal of E-Government & E-Business Research, Vol. 10, Issue 2, 2025, pp 25-40, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17940627

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References

Alodat, A. M., Al-Qora’n, L. F., & Abu Hamoud, M. M. (2023). Social media platforms and political participation: A study of Jordanian youth engagement. Social Sciences, 12(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12070402
BBC. (2022, August 3). Gen Z: How young people are changing activism. BBC Worklife. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220803-gen-z-how-young-people-are-changing-activism
Cabrera, N. L., Matias, C. E., & Montoya, R. (2017). Activism or slacktivism? The potential and pitfalls of social media in contemporary student activism. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 10(4), 400–415. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000061
Costanilla, S. E. R. B., St. Domingo, L. D. K., Regala, E. M., Chavez, W. L. B., Ramirez, K. A. P., Villaflor, L. Z. P., Cervantes, R. R. L., & Largo, A. J. V. (2025). Digital voices: The role of online activism on students’ perspectives and behavior toward social issues. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), 9(01), 1205-1225. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9010102
De Moor, J., Uba, K., Wahlström, M., Wennerhag, M., & De Vydt, M. (2020). Protest for a future: Composition, mobilization and motives of the participants in Fridays for Future climate protests. Sustainability, 12(3), 1252. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031252
Fernández-Zubieta, A., Guevara, J. A., Caballero Roldan, R., & Robles, J. M. (2023). Digital activism masked―The Fridays for Future movement and the “Global Day of Climate Action”: Testing social function and framing typologies of claims on Twitter. Social Sciences, 12(12), 676. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12120676
Freelon, D., McIlwain, C., & Clark, M. (2018). Beyond the hashtags: #Ferguson, #Blacklivesmatter, and the online struggle for offline justice. Oxford University Press.
Gurung, A. (2022). Youth and climate justice: Social media activism in Nepal. Environmental Sociology, 8(4), 355–369.
Gupta, A., Tyagi, M., & Sharma, R. (2018). Viral social media campaigns and health awareness: The case of ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Journal of Health Communication, 23(6), 545–552.
Heggart, K., & Flowers, R. (2024). Contemporary youth social movements. In K. Heggart & R. Flowers (Eds.), Education for social change: Perspectives on global citizenship education (1st ed.). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/read-online/358513b4-7cd7-4421-8f8a-a89e63df373f/chapter/pdf?context=ubx
Human Rights Education Review. (n.d.). The power of social media in youth activism [Article]. Human Rights Education Review. https://doi.org/10.7577/hrer.4958
Kumar, S., Sharma, A., & Verma, V. (2021). Social media a tool for social and political inclusion among youth: A study of Indian university students. Current Research Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(1), 82–89. https://doi.org/10.12944/CRJSSH.4.1.08
Maltby, J., Rayes, T., Nage, A., Sharif, S., Omar, M., & Nichani, S. (2024). Synthesizing perspectives: Crafting an interdisciplinary view of social media’s impact on young people’s mental health. PLoS ONE, 19(7), e0307164. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0307164
Mendes, K., Ringrose, J., & Keller, J. (2019). Digital feminist activism: #MeToo and the everyday experiences of challenging rape culture. Feminist Media Studies, 19(3), 379–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2019.1603242
Oden, A., & Porter, L. (2023, July). The kids are online: Teen social media use, civic engagement, and affective polarization. Social Media + Society, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051231186364
Pandit, M., Magadum, T., Mittal, H., & Kushwaha, O. (2025). Digital natives, digital activists: Youth, social media and the rise of environmental sustainability movements. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.10158
Phillips, C. (2024). Digital communication and the rise of online activism. Journal of Communication, 5(3), 31–44. https://doi.org/10.47941/jcomm.1983
Rezaei, M., & Owens, P. E. (2023). Young humans make change, young users click: Creating youth-centered networked social movements. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.07541
Robertson, S., & Baker, P. (2017). Men’s health promotion and digital activism: The case of Movember. Journal of Men’s Health, 13(4), e44–e52.
Shah, M. A., & Khan, Z. (2023). The role of youth activism in facilitating social change: A catalyst for transformation in the contemporary era. Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.55737/qjssh.575688089
Sumadevi, S. (2023, October). Impact of social media on youth: Comprehensive analysis. Shodh Sari-An International Multidisciplinary Journal, 2(4), 286-301. https://doi.org/10.59231/SARI7640
Tarlo, E., & Moitra, S. (2018). Digital politics and the Nirbhaya protests. South Asian Popular Culture, 16(1), 1–14.
Thapa, R. (2021). Youth activism and digital protests in Nepal: The case of ‘Enough is Enough.’ Journal of South Asian Development, 16(2), 220–239.
Tass, M. A., & Malik, I. (2025). Driving environmental change: The impact of social media on Gen Z's sustainability efforts. South Eastern European Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.70135/seejph.vi.3639
WeAreRestless. (2024, November 11). The power of social media in youth activism: Amplifying voices for justice. https://wearerestless.org/2024/11/11/the-power-of-social-media-in-youth-activism-amplifying-voices-for-justice/
Wilf, S., & Wray-Lake, L. (2023). Development and validation of the Youth Sociopolitical Action Scale for Social Media (SASSM). Adolescent Research Review, 1–14. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-023-00208-w
World Health Organization Europe. (2021). Youth4Health: Engaging young people in digital health promotion. WHO Regional Office Report. https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/youth/youth4health
World Wildlife Fund. (2021). Harnessing digital platforms for environmental awareness: The case of Earth Hour. WWF Reports. https://www.worldwildlife.org/
Ziv, H., & Yavetz, A. (2025). Echo chambers and civic polarization among youth online: The cost of algorithmic engagement. Information Society Journal, 41(1), 67–84.

Int. J. of E-Gov. & E-Busi Res

FROM HASHTAGS TO ACTION: THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MOVEMENTS ON YOUTH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

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