After the internet boom in the early 2000s, blogging became a popular form of communication between writers and their audiences. Due to its convenience and accessibility, social justice advocates created an online community of like-minded women. However, with the emergence of social media, many progressive, women-oriented blogs closed, and “feminist work [became] more individualized and splintered.” What was once a public forum for ideological diversity has to quick scrolls, likes, sound bites, and short comments. Despite these downsides, social media’s effectiveness and permanence cannot be denied. While having numerous advantages, such as being easily digestible and comprehensible, today's social media community is vastly different than the seasoned and now-closed blog communities of Jezebel, Feministing, Broadly, The Lily, etc.
Now, many young women are “searching for their own versions of publications that shaped their predecessors.” According to the Pew Research Center, 68% of women between the ages of 18-29 identify as feminists. Their data reveals that young women are both more progressive and willing to self-identify as feminists than women of earlier generations. These unsurprising statistics are due, in part, to the social movements that occurred over the past decade - including the election of Donald Trump who has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault, the #MeToo movement, and the overturning of Roe v Wade, disregarding 50 years of legal precedent and eliminating a right women considered to be constitutionally guaranteed. Although these movements empower millions of women, it’s difficult to maintain the momentum. Nonetheless, it's crucial that the ever-so-passionate younger generations are mobilized effectively, kept unified, and able to have their voices heard at large scales. This generation - my generation - needs to take a "both...and" approach: both remain active in traditional media outlets to spread their message and voice their concerns and utiliize newer technology platforms to continually reach younger generations. All of these outlets should be coordinated aspects of a larger, cohesive strategy to organize, mobilize, and engage young women.
Information from The New York Times Article: Goodbye, Feminist Blogs. Hello, Gen Z Content Creators?