From individual affectedness to collective identity: personal testimony campaigns on social media and the logic of collection

In recent years, there has been much debate about the consequences of internet and social media for activism movements. According to Lance W Bennett Alexandra Segerberg, digital involves a logic ‘connective action’, in which collective action identity lose importance. To assess validity this theory, I focus on personal testimony campaigns that have by now become familiar tactic, especially online mobilisations around issues gender sexuality. Drawing discourse analysis some most prominent examples, from #MeToo #GirlsLikeUs, argue more than connection, what is at stake here ‘logic collection’, involved gathering testimonies as specimens various grievances people are affected (sexual harassment, discrimination, etc.). Aggregating shared hashtags provides means construct and/or trasform groups order raise their self-awareness place them better position engage action. These practices thus suggest need overcome opposition between inherent theory refocus research forms identification connect these two levels.