DECONSTRUCTING THE LANGUAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA HASHTAGS

Abstract

This paper aims at applying theory of deconstruction as given by Jacques Derrida to the language of social media hashtags. In this context, the researcher tries to explore the role of social media hashtags in transforming, shaping, destabilizing, and commercializing meaning within online social media discourse. Social media platforms are open to everyone across the globe and people not only use it to get connected with others but also have started raising their voices and to do so they have started using hashtags. Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, and #SocialMediaDetox are widely used as dynamic signifiers that construct personal and collective identities while also highlighting their instability and ambiguity. Through Derridean theoretical framework, the researcher for this study interrogates how hashtags simultaneously enable empowerment and vulnerability by encouraging collectiveness while also remaining prone to appropriation and commercialization. 

The analysis of the study highlights recurring themes prevalent in the case studies under investigation, including the instability of language, the duality of acceptance and rebellion, and the affective power of hashtags to call collective support across the globe. The present study by deconstructing the language of hashtags through Derridean’s lens reveals the complex interaction of language, identity, and digital activism. Besides, it highlights the need for sensible engagement surrounding social media discourse.

This study aims at contributing to a deeper level of understanding regarding how such digital symbols bring about social and political realities that align with Derrida’s notion – meaning is an ongoing process of interpretation and reinterpretation. The study also highlights the transformative potential of social media hashtags, while also foregrounding their vulnerability.