#CULTURAL IMPLICATION(S) & BEYOND...
Hashtags are not only part of online culture, they are defining a new era of communication on the Web and in real life. With over 140 million Tweets shooting across Twitter every day, hashtags have the ability to group conversations into an organized timeline. But what started out as a way to index conversations in Twitter has now substantially altered how people convey, relay and discover information in and out of the Twitter world. The hashtag has also become an effective form of #selfexpression.
In social media, “x” no longer marks the spot, the“#” now makes the spot. The hashtag is now the indicator for popular culture and all that moves it. In the social economy, the hashtag is an indicator of value in the Twitter information exchange. Each hashtag represents revolving markets with varying lifespans determined by the significance of the conversation and its continuously fleeting demand. Some last only minutes, while others endure for hours or days.
While many struggle to understand the value of Twitter, those who understand it are literally changing how they connect and talk to one another online and offline. At some point, a chasm emerges between those who use Twitter and those who do not. In other channels where Twitter users and other non-users are connected, for example email or text messaging, the culture of conversation becomes noticeably divergent. To begin with, Twitter users, like texters, are accustomed to speak with brevity. Subconsciously aware of the character constraints of Twitter, communication is concise, to the point, with an emphasis on short form bursts. This digital shorthand is only part of what’s changing. The impact of text messaging on the ability to write in longhand has been long observed. "R U surprised? Prolly not…LOL!" (Solis, Brian) is just one example of how short hand communication, influenced by the 140 character limit and hashtag is becoming a primary and popular way of communication. Within 140-character inspired transmissions, the hashtag is playing an important role.
Hashtags are no longer bound to Twitter. They traverse the channels for all forms of communication. Hashtags are now embedded in the fabric of our digital lifestyle and enlivened in our expressions. Although the value of hashtags are in the eye of the beholder, they are special. As such, they are not easily manipulable. Hashtags must possess cultural relevance to connect at an intellectual or emotional level before they can trigger the actions, reactions, and transactions of social media. Hashtags aren’t to be branded, they are to to be relatable.
They are given many names by different people: topics, tags, keywords, hashes, trends, channels, search terms, subjects, filters. They are born quickly, often burning out just a fast. At other times, they seem eternal. In some cases, their use is so ubiquitous for a specific topic that they will forever be associated to it. They can be created by a single person, edited and replaced by someone else, and officially sanctioned by a larger group consensus. They usually work well, but sometimes become ignored. Love them or hate them (or have no clue what they are), in some form or another, they are here to stay.
They have become cultural shorthand.
