The Invisible Battleground of Hashtag Hijacking
Interactive Data Visualization | 2020
This project investigates the phenomenon of hashtag hijacking by exploring four different questions. We used data visualization both as a final product in our research and as a tool to observe patterns and find insights.
The project was developed for the Final Synthesis Design Studio of the Communication Design Master’s Program of Politecnico di Milano. Its aim was to structure four research protocols on the subject of Hashtag Hijacking and design visualizations to help in the process. We focused on three different hashtags: #StopHateForProfit, #ProudBoys, and #millionMAGAmarch, as you can check below.
Which are the specific hashtags associated with the hijacked #StopHateForProfit and which other hashtags are they related to?
With this research question, we explored the association of hashtags and how they change when a hijacking happens. #StopHateForProfit was used in a campaign against the spread of hate on social platforms, but was later used by Kazhaki people that felt misrepresented by the movie Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm. For the visualization, we chose to compare area charts and associate them with a network of hashtags.
What are the differences and similarities between the content posted with the #ProudBoys on three different platforms?
The #ProudBoys was first associated with the US-American hate group Proud Boys, but was then hijacked and used in association with images of LGBT love and pride. Here, we explored the differences between the type of content posted on each platform, by selecting the 100 most engaging posts for each.
Which words were used to describe the hijacking of #ProudBoys on Twitter in other languages besides English?
On this second question related to #ProudBoys, we focused on the vocabulary used to talk about the hijacking in the languages in which the topic had a relevant engagement besides the main one, English. The visualization, which has as its core a Venn diagram, shows the results.
Who were the most retweeted users of the #millionMAGAmarch on the week of the Trump-supporting march and what did they use the hashtag for?
This final hashtag was used to promote the march in support of Trump’s allegations of electoral fraud. It was hijacked by people posting pictures of pancakes in an attempt to drown out the march supporters. The visualization combines a timeline with a scatterplot and an area chart and explores the presence of each kind of account among the most engaging in the week of the event.
