“Innocent” Hashtags? A Cautionary Tale: #IStandWithGreece as a Network of Intolerance on Twitter During a Land Border Crisis

Authors

  • Maria Avraamidou University of Cyprus
  • Maria Ioannou University College Groningen| University of Groningen
  • Eftychios Eftychiou Georgia Institute of Technology

Keywords:

hashtag analysis, migration, network perspective, social media, Twitter

Abstract

This study explores the hashtag #IStandWithGreece as part of the meaning-making processes on Twitter around a border crisis at Europe’s periphery, the Greek–Turkish land border. Adopting a network perspective, we located the most influential Twitter accounts using #IStandWithGreece, the communities they formed in the microblog, and other hashtags used to communicate their views in relation to the unfolding events. This allowed the scanning of the broader ideological character of these influencers and their respective communities and, by extent, that of the debate around the hashtag. The study exposes the strategic use of a seemingly innocent hashtag by certain influential actors to disseminate antimigrant stances that cut across national contexts of the Global North.

Author Biographies

Maria Avraamidou, University of Cyprus

Maria Avraamidou is a Post-doctoral Researcher at the University of CyprusMobile: +35799452620

Maria Ioannou, University College Groningen| University of Groningen

Maria Ioannou is Assistant Professor at the University College Groningen| University of GroningenMobile: ‎+31621354041

Eftychios Eftychiou, Georgia Institute of Technology

Eftychios Eftychiou holds MSC in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology

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Published

2021-06-14

Issue

Vol. 15 (2021)

Section

Articles

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