The Occupy Movement can be said to be the most technologically advanced protest ever. Protesters
are using social media daily to inform the masses on the moment to moment news
of the occupy movement, keeping its followers updated at all times.
Twitter has been a major player in the Occupy Movement. It helps
bring live feed at that moment to the followers. Notifying them of either
events that are taking place, events to come, words of protest, words of
motivation and anything else in between. It was one of the first major social
media tools used to bring the masses together on September 17, the first day of
protest.
The Adbusters Media Foundation group is a Canadian based
organization. Through the use of social media and their magazine, Adbusters,
they began the Occupy Wall Street Movement when they released the following
post:
"On September 17, we want to see 20,000 people flood into
lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall
Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple
demand in a plurality of voices," the post said.
This was the
start of the Occupy Movement that would later spread to the world.
It seems as though
President Obama isn’t the only one using Sesame Street to help his campaign. The
Occupy Movement has been using Sesame Street as one of their memes, and it all
started on Twitter.
This comical Cookie Monster post was the first tweet to
reference Sesame Street, and it seemed to snow ball after that. It now even has
its own hash tag which people are able to read different Sesame Street themed
post.
Facebook has also been widely used to bring together its
followers. There are hundreds of Occupy themed pages. One of the more popular
pages is an Occupy Wall Street page that has over 400,000 likes. There are pages
for some major cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, Austin and so many more. There
is even a Sesame Street Facebook page. There is even a false Facebook page that
has been posting racist views, but it is titled Occupy Wall Street. This page
is now under protest from the other Occupy Wall Street pages.
his is the main Facebook page.
One of the greatest tools being used has been YouTube. It has
been an amazing tool in showing up close moments of the Movement. It’s one
thing to write about something, no matter how detailed the post may be, but to
actually be able to see real moments that have been recorded is an amazing way
to connect the audience and enlighten the clueless.
There is a range of video post, from police beatings to
protester interviews. News cast have gone down to the protest sites and
interviewed individuals there, showing to everyone the movement that is taking
place and how it works. Peter Schiff, a one percenter, has gone to the site and
had one on one conversation with the protesters.
His presence wasn’t widely appreciated, and many of the
protesters came at him with much hostility and seemed disinterested in anything
he had to say. Much of which, ironically enough, had to do with him agreeing
with the protesters.
Tumblr has been a crucial tool in the growing of the Occupy
Movement. This is one of the only platforms in which someone can really write
and tell people their story, their struggle. The Tumblr page, We Are The 99%,
has been used by bloggers to show what makes them part of the 99%. They bring
to light their dissatisfaction and their pain. It is said to be one of the most
heart wrenching social media pages available.
It allows for those who can’t be in the physical protest, to
still show their support. It connects people in a personal way that no other
media source is really able to do.
This 26 year
old has a 2 year old daughter and 4 step children. Her fiancée works 14 hours a
day, 6 days a week and still can’t pay the bills. Her mom buys most of her daughter’s clothes
and toys. She can’t have a job because she can’t afford day care, but her fiancée
can’t claim their daughter because his taxes our being garnished. She has
problems, but can’t afford to go to the doctor.
This is a 24
year old college graduate. She has her B.A. in English. After 5 years of work
she is working two jobs at 40-50 hours a week and still barely making more than
when she graduated from high school 6 years ago. She has accumulated $33,000+
to pay in student loans. She can’t find a full time job because she has no
experience, but one will hire her because she has no experience.
There are so many great social media at our disposal that it’s
no wonder how the movement spread like wildfire. Although the movement has
seemed to calm down and isn’t as prominent as it was last September, the
protest still continues to rage on and fight for the 99%.
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