march for our lives
It’s been five years since Nikolas Cruz, an expelled former high school student opened fire on students and staff, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others.
Cruz entered the building armed with a rifle, cartridges, and smoke grenades. He pulled the fire alarm so students would pour out of the classroom into the hallways, but soon after entering the halls gunshots broke out.
During this time of terror, at the time 17-year-old David Hogg pulled out his phone and began recording. “‘It was sheer terror,’ Hogg said of that moment, but he quickly recognized it as one that needed documenting – if not for him to report, then for survivors and lawmakers to understand how desperately the country needs to implement reforms to prevent yet another mass shooting” (Dakin, 2018)
Hogg started interviewing his classmates closest to him and began capturing their raw and terrified emotion.
“I want to show these people exactly what’s going on when these children are facing bullets flying through classrooms and students are dying trying to get an education,” said Hogg” (Dakin, 2018)
The Parkland Shooting is the deadliest mass shooting at a high school in United States history.
the march
Following the horrific shooting, fellow students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as well as nearly 800,000 protesters rallied together on the streets of Washington D.C. on March 24, 2018, to demand stronger gun violence prevention measures. Not only did this march just occur in the nation’s capital, but more than 880 sibling protests throughout the country. “Notably the turnout was estimated between 1.2 and 2 million people, making it one of the largest protests in American history.” (Lopez, 2018)
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School junior, Cameron Kasky and fellow classmates, Alex Wind, Hogg, and Emma Gonzalez announced the march just four days after the massacre. The date, March 24th, more than a month later was chosen to allow families and students a chance to grieve, and then rally together and be a voice for those who no longer have one.
This event, entirely planned by high school students included “student speakers, musical performers, guest speakers, and video tributes, according to the permit application, with 14 jumbotrons.” Organizers secured nearly $2 million in donations via GoFundMe, donors included Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, and George and Amal Clooney,” (Moyer, 2018).
Stoneman Douglas students arrived to the rally on buses, some with families and others by the New England Patriots. “At 4:10 a.m. on Saturday, three planes carrying five hundred and sixty-seven students total departed from Fort Lauderdale. The students were whisked directly from the tarmac to the site of the rally, where they were immediately given a them file in,” (Witt, 2018). The Parkland students were joined by activists from all over the country. Most notably, Yoland Renee King, (at the time), the nine-year-old granddaughter of Martin Luther King Junior. “I have a dream that enough is enough,” Yolanda King said, “and that this should be a gun-free world” (Witt, 2018).
The March for Our Lives movement was one-of, if not the largest youth-led social movement. It’s evident that youth protests do not look like what they did fifty years ago. This generation of young activists paved the way for an entirely new template for protest.
So how did they do it?
the momentum
Following March 24th, the student MFOL leaders were everywhere. Kasky made several national television appearances, most notably, the CNN Florida Town Hall where Kasky challenged Florida Senator, Marco Rubio on how many donations he receives from the NRA.
Emma Gonzalez, known for her powerful speech at the D.C. rally found herself delivering speeches nationwide, as well as an interview with Ellen DeGeneres where she explained “that the “we call BS” chant was created because the four-syllable phrase was easy to remember and resonate through repetition” (Chen, Hammer, Lee, Yang). Hogg, appeared on talk shows, including Dr. Phil.
Five Parkland students and leaders of the movement, Kasky, Gonzaelz, Hogg, Jaclyn Corin, and Alex Wind appeared on TIME Magazine, with the words “Enough” displayed on the cover.
Celebrities like Selena Gomez (413 million followers), Taylor Swift (257 million followers), Ariana Grande (368 million followers), Kim Kardashian (353 million followers), and Miley Cyrus (206 million followers) promoted the movement on social media using the hashtags “#NeverAgain,” and “March For Our Lives.”
Yes, politicians and celebrities have traditionally ruled political discussions. However, following the Parkland shooting the survivors seemed to gain more traction and influence on social media than celebrities and politician around the conversation on gun violence.
“More people retweet and mention the Parkland students than they do for celebrities and politicians like activists Igor Volsky and Yara Shahidi, who have been outspoken on gun violence for years,” (Brandwatch, 2018).
the power of social media
Would this movement have been at the scale it was if not for social media? Probably not. The role of social media cannot be undermined when analyzing both the mobilization and global outreach of this social and political movement.
The March For Our Lives movement currently has 375,000 followers on Instagram, 450,000 on Twitter, and 315,000 on Facebook. Organizers like Gonzalez and Hogg each have more than 100,000 followers on their own personal Instagram accounts. Hogg has 1.2 million followers on his personal Twitter account.
Immediately following the shooting, Kasky advised all his classmates to frequently use the hashtags #NeverAgain, #EnoughIsEnough, and #MarchForOurLives when discussing the tragedy, which the hashtags went viral shortly after. Over 4.2 million hashtags were used on the March 24th, the day of the school walkouts (Yee & Blinder 2018).
This movement was entirely carried out along social platforms, adhering to all audiences, using Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
An extremely valuable opportunity the organizers took advantage of was using Snapchat. Since Snapchat is more personal and private than other platforms it’s not very commonly used throughout social movements. However, when organizing school walkouts, which is a primarily Gen Z (students), Snapchat was proven highly effective. Unique from other platforms, Snapchat contains a map feature which allows you to see where and when other events, in this case, high school walkouts took place. It essentially allowed you to track where in the United States student walkouts were occurring.
Social media was paramount in this movement for three reasons: spreading awareness, mobilizing groups, and most importantly amplifying voices.
the strategy
For a movement that’s entirely run by individuals that can’t even legally drink and to achieve that level prominence is truly monumental. It’s important to note that there’s a very distinct reason this movement had more success and recognition than other social movements. There was both strategic planning and determination. The organizers did an incredible job of not targeting a specific demographic. On multiple occasions they expressed that their mission isn’t political, it’s not centered around Democrats or Republicans, rather this been seen as a platform to address gun violence.
Searching the website today it even says, “created by survivors, so you don’t have to be one. Join a chapter. Register to vote. Support the Peace Plan. Save lives. End gun violence.” Before you even click on the website you’re promoted with specific ways you can make an impact. When comparing to other movements such as #Kony2012, #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, there seemed to be a loss of traction because there was no sense of a tangible way to help. With March For Our Lives, even five years later they continue to post impactful ways you can make a difference.
Not only is this call-to-action present on their website, but throughout all their social channels. Being a part of a generation that continues to distrust traditional media, they strategically took advantage of relevant resources. They centered this movement entirely around all social platforms, adhering to all audiences, using Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat.
The image above represents the age demographics of the top social platforms in the United States (Image Source 6). The organizers of this social movement catered each post to the social platforms according to their demographic audience.
Often when analyzing the successes of social media movements, we generally see that there’s a large push around the beginning of the movement, about within the first 2 weeks of it happening. During those first couple weeks people feel like it’s relevant, they are bought in to the hashtags and sharing posts. Around three weeks to a month people start to lose interest and not for the fact that the movement is no longer relevant, it’s more so that initial fire and excitement has dwindled down.
Now, the March for Our Lives seems to be a different story. The movement truly was and continues to be a turning point in America’s conversation on gun violence. It’s clear that this wasn’t just a trendy movement, the March For Our Lives was a lasting social movement destined for real, effective change.
“After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland, Florida, we marched, activated the country, built a home for youth political advocacy, and helped engage over 2 million voters. In 2022, after back-to- back mass shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde, and across the U.S., we knew it was time to take to the streets again and demand a better nation from our elected officials.” (March For Our Lives, 2022).
The second march that took place on June 1, 2022, included more than 70,000 participants in DC, as well as 450+ sibling marches occurred simultaneously nationwide.
Not only did these marches promote awareness, but they led to effective change. On June 2, 2022, just one day after the protest, Senator Chris Murphy (right) announced a bipartisan gun reform package with the support of 10 republicans. There was also the first federal law on gun violence in 25+ years, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Law into law. 20+ states passed laws that hold gun manufacturers accountable, banning assault rifles and/or removal of advertising for firearms (March For Our Lives, 2022).
In between the 2018 and 2022 marches, the organization had 70+ meetings with Congressmembers in Washington with demands of legislative action. Since the organization was founded in 2018, 2,000,000 voters (and counting) have been engaged (March For Our Lives, 2022).
Over the last five years March For Our Lives has proved to be extremely successful. In a society where our attention span diminishes after a couple of seconds, this group (of teenagers) were able to continue to the momentum.
When analyzing the ways of successfully building a social movement there’s a large focus on three main priorities: growing awareness, mobilizing groups, and amplifying voices. Yes, the March For Our Lives passed all three with flying colors. However, the reason this social movement sets them apart from many others is their emphasis on action.
People advocate on social media that there is an immense issue of racial discrimination within the police force (Black Lives Matter). People advocate on social media there is gender inequality and issues of sexual discrimination in the workplace (#MeToo). When people become aware of these injustices, they voice their support
along all their social platforms in support of these movements... then what? The awareness, mobilizing support, and amplifying voices isn’t going to necessarily drive change.
So, what will?
The March For Our Lives movement does an incredible job promoting on their social platforms and website the direct ways people can take action.
The social post above is one of the organization’s most recent tweets of a direct way you can make an impact, by calling Rep. Ryan Guillen’s office and demand they meet with the parents of the children killed in Uvalde.
This social post is promoting a high school walkout (following the loss of one of their classmates to violence) organized entirely by the students. They’ve created a movement where young activists can learn to speak up and fight their own battles, which is so empowering.
By making more people, specifically the younger generation, more educated and passionate about gun control, they continue to help narrow the gap on the gun debate.
the future: a comprehensive social media plan
The importance of spreading awareness, mobilizing troops, and amplifying voices is crucial in the organization of a social movement, as well as its direct calls to action.
However, when outlining the future of March For Our Lives this social media campaign that’s presented in this section will provide the pivotal steps that need to be taken in order to continue to grow the momentum and success around this movement.
Objective #1: Direct Calls to Action
The reality is the organization cannot wait for the next mass shooting to protest and draw attraction and momentum around the cause. Social media has brought a new age of activism, anyone can advocate for issues that pique their interest or feel passionate about. Utilize social media in making calls to direct action, outside of just protests.
Plan: With every social post on Facebook, Twitter, Snapcat, Instagram, etc. include two buttons – “Take Action” and “Donate”
• Continuously remind visitors of the page that it’s easy to take action (we don’t need heroes – we need supporters)
o The reason it’s imperative to say easy is not everyone is motivated enough to take committed action, but while they’re on your site you may as well let them know they can still make an impact from their couch
Once clicking the “Take Action” button, they are presented with the following options:
Strategies:
• Once you complete one of the tasks, whether it’s a pledge to vote or sign a petition – prompt the user to share to their own socials explaining that they just signed this petition. Automatically generate the post so it’s little to no work to them. This will then be seen by their followers and friends in hopes they sign it as well.
Platform Specific Tactics:
On Instagram – post weekly/twice a week reminder of how people can get involved
o Have the posts promoted on Instagram stories so social media users can swipe up to be sent to links immediately
o Take advantage of using ad space on social channels such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc to promote direct action
On Facebook & Twitter – share articles/news stories of gun violence then telling the reader they can help put an end to this by doing X,Y, Z
On TikTok & Snapchat – use these personal video platforms to promote personal stories with action steps– hearing a story is so much more impactful and will likely lead to action taking place by the viewer
Objective/Strategy #2: Personal Stories
There’s a reason there’s so much momentum around this movement when news of mass shootings breaks. People are extremely sympathetic in situations like these. As names and images of those dead/injured appear and videos from the tradegy surface the internet there’s a tremendous amount of grief and compassion from all social users. People want to know how they can help, whether it’s through donating to family’s GoFundMe’s or signing a pledge.
The strategy to focus on is how does the organization gain momentum when there’s isn’t news or tragedy... through personal stories.
Plan: Continue to tell personal stories of classmates, families, etc. As well as, sharing the news of gun-violence related issues including names of those lost. Putting names and faces to a movement creates empathy.
Platform Specific Tactics:
On Instagram – Include images and names of victims of gun violence, tell their stories, and provide ways to make change (direct action) – @SandyHookPromise posts images and the names of victims of mass shootings every anniversary
On Facebook & Twitter – share articles/news stories related to gun violence as they happen and provide them with the link of ways to get invovled
On TikTok & Snapchat – use these personal video platforms to promote individual personal stories from survivors of school shootings and families that lost a family member due to gun violence
Objective #3: Promote User-Generated Content
People want to feel like they are part of something. Even if they really aren’t. Remember Ice Bucket Challenge, Polar Plunge, and the Black Lives Matter black squares? Did all of these things really make a direct impact? It’s debatable.
It is important to note though that there’s a tremendous amount of momentum when people are using and promoting user-generated content.
Strategies:
• Create frequent initiatives and social campaign movements that require users to get involved themselves and share from their own platforms
Platform Specific Tactic:
• On Instagram, Facebook, Twitter – have anyone post a picture of themselves in any environment (school, movies, mall, etc) with the caption “I don’t deserve to die here, but others have. #EndGunViolence”
o This can be targeted to all age groups but understand there’s a younger demographic on post platforms
conclusion
There’s power in numbers.
March For Our Lives is a clear representation of how social media can effectively be used to promote social change. The movement has proved that there’s more to a movement then spreading awareness. Social media can create direct action as well as spreading awareness, amplifying voices, and mobilizing groups. It’s a powerful tool that should not be undermined when advocating for social justice. With a strategic social media plan, like the strategies presented throughout this paper, there’s a successful and powerful way to use social media to make a difference in the world.
social media for the public good.
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Andone, D. (2018, February 18). Student journalist interviewed classmates as shooter walked Parkland School Halls. CNN. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/david-hogg-profile-florida- shooting/index.html
Lopez, G. (2018, March 26). It's official: March for our lives was one of the biggest youth protests since the Vietnam War. Vox. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.vox.com/policy-and- politics/2018/3/26/17160646/march-for-our-lives-crowd-size-count
March for our lives was born on social media. Brandwatch. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/march-for-our-lives-social-media/
Moyer, J. W. (2018, February 26). Organizers plan for 500,000 attendees at 'March for our lives' gun-control March in Washington. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/organizers-plan-for-500000-attendees-at-march-for-our-lives-rally-in- washington/2018/02/22/a9ff1992-17f9-11e8-8ac5-84161111ace0_story.html
Our work. March For Our Lives. (2022, September 28). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://marchforourlives.com/our-work/
Social media campaigns — winning examples to inspire your next strategy. (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2023, from https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/winning-social-media-campaign-examples
Take action with march for our lives. March For Our Lives. (2023, April 10). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://marchforourlives.com/actions/
Witt, E. (2018, March 25). The March for our lives presents a radical new model for youth protest. The New Yorker. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-march-for-our-lives- presents-a-radical-new-model-for-youth-protest
Yee, V., & Blinder, A. (2018, March 14). National School walkout: Thousands protest against gun violence across the U.S. The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/14/us/school-walkout.html
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#1 March for our lives. March For Our Lives. (2023, March 27). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://marchforourlives.com/
#2: Dow Jones & Company. (2018, March 15). Gun-violence protests drew an estimated 1 million students. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/students-plan-national- school-walkout-to-protest-shootings-1521019801
#3 March for our lives was born on social media. Brandwatch. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/march-for-our-lives-social-media/
#4 March for our lives was born on social media. Brandwatch. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/march-for-our-lives-social-media/
#5 Grasso, S. (2021, May 22). Snapchat offers a sobering view of the national school walkout. The Daily Dot. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.dailydot.com/irl/snapchat-school-walkout-videos/
#6 Atske, S. (2022, May 11). Social media use in 2021. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-use-in-2021/
#7 March for our lives. March For Our Lives. (2023, March 27). Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://marchforourlives.com/
#8 Zavarise, I. (n.d.). Senator Chris Murphy on his decades long-fight for gun reform: 'we value white life in this country more than Black Life'. Business Insider. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.businessinsider.com/senator-chris-murphy-has-crafted-a-bipartisan-gun-reform-bill-2022-7
