Hashtag

On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services–especially Twitter and Tumblr–as a form of user-generated tagging that enables cross-referencing of content by topic or theme.

[8][9] In June 2014, hashtag was added to the Oxford English Dictionary as "a word or phrase with the symbol # in front of it, used on social media websites and apps so that you can search for all messages with the same subject".

[10][11] The number sign or hash symbol, #, has long been used in information technology to highlight specific pieces of text.

[13] The pound sign was adopted for use within IRC (Internet Relay Chat) networks around 1988 to label groups and topics.

[14] Channels or topics that are available across an entire IRC network are prefixed with a hash symbol # (as opposed to those local to a server, which uses an ampersand '&').

[15] The use of the pound sign in IRC inspired[16] Chris Messina to propose a similar system on Twitter to tag topics of interest on the microblogging network.

As in #barcamp [msg]?According to Messina, he suggested use of the hashtag to make it easy for lay users without specialized knowledge of search protocols to find specific relevant content.

[34] Individual platforms may deactivate certain hashtags either for being too generic to be useful, such as #photography on Instagram, or due to their use to facilitate illegal activities.

[44][45] Companies, businesses, and advocacy organizations have taken advantage of hashtag-based discussions for promotion of their products, services or campaigns.

Since the 2012–13 season, the NBA has allowed fans to vote players in as All-Star Game starters on Twitter and Facebook using #NBAVOTE.

[49] Hashtag-centered biomedical Twitter campaigns have shown to increase the reach, promotion, and visibility of healthcare-related open innovation platforms.

In January 2012, McDonald's created the #McDStories hashtag so that customers could share positive experiences about the restaurant chain, but the marketing effort was cancelled after two hours when critical tweets outnumbered praising ones.

This hashtag was not only used to spread awareness of accusations regarding Harvey Weinstein but allowed different women to share their experiences of sexual violence.

The use of hashtags, especially, in this case, allowed for better and easier access to search for content related to this social media movement.

The majority of participants reported positive impact on their teaching strategies as inspired by many ideas shared by different individuals in the Hashtag.

[clarification needed][59] Related research demonstrated how high school students engagement with hashtag communication practices allowed them to develop story telling skills and cultural awareness.

[60] For young people at risk of poverty and social exclusion during the COVID-19 pandemic, Instagram hashtags were shown in a 2022 article to foster scientific education and promote remote learning.

[64][65] Rappers Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, Drake, and Lil Wayne are credited with the popularization of hashtag rap, while the style has been criticized by Ludacris, The Lonely Island,[66] and various music writers.

[67] On September 13, 2013, a hashtag, #TwitterIPO, appeared in the headline of a New York Times front-page article regarding Twitter's initial public offering.

This suggests that, similar to word formation, users may see the syntax of an existing viral hashtag as a blueprint for creating new ones.