DIGITAL SILENCE AND SYMBOLIC RESISTANCE: SILENCE AS COMMUNICATIVE ACTION IN THE #BLACKOUTTUESDAY CAMPAIGN
Abstract
This study investigates the role of digital silence and symbolic resistance as forms of communicative action in the #BlackoutTuesday campaign, a global online protest that emerged in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. While silence is often conceptualized as a lack of expression, this article argues that, in digital activism, silence can operate as a deliberate and symbolically charged act of protest. Drawing on a qualitative discourse analysis of Instagram and Twitter posts-including black square imagery, user captions, and critical responses-the study identifies four key functions of digital silence: presence, solidarity, controversy, and aesthetic disruption.
Findings show that social media users used visual and textual minimalism not merely to withdraw from digital discourse, but to reframe social media space as a site of mourning, reflection, and symbolic resistance. However, the campaign also generated tensions around performative allyship and the suppression of essential activist information, revealing the contested nature of symbolic gestures in networked publics. The study contributes to communication theory by extending understandings of silence as strategic and affective practice, and by highlighting the political significance of inaction in digital protest cultures.
These insights suggest that silence-when mobilized with intention-can serve as a powerful form of resistance, yet remains vulnerable to misinterpretation and appropriation within algorithmically mediated platforms.
Keywords
digital silence communicative action BlackoutTuesday social media activism discourse analysis
Ethical Statement
Bu çalışma için etik izin alınmasına gerek yoktur.
Supporting Institution
Herhangi bir mali destek yoktur.
Thanks
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References
- Austin, J. L. How to Do Things with Words. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1962.
- Bonilla, Y., & Rosa, J. "#Ferguson: Digital Protest, Hashtag Ethnography, and the Racial Politics of Social Media in the United States." American Ethnologist 42/1 (January 2015), 4–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/amet.12112
- Bruneau, T. J. "Communicative Silences: Forms and Functions." Journal of Communication 23/1 (March 1973), 17–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1973.tb00929.
- Butler, J. Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performative. London: Routledge, 1997.
- Couldry, N. Why Voice Matters: Culture and Politics after Neoliberalism. London: SAGE, 2010.
- Dean, J. Blog Theory: Feedback and Capture in the Circuits of Drive. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2010.
- Fairclough, N. Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language. London: Longman, 1995.
- Freelon, D., McIlwain, C. D., & Clark, M. D. "Quantifying the Power and Consequences of Social Media Protest." New Media & Society 22/2 (February 2020), 349–369. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819898794
- Highfield, T., & Leaver, T. "Instagrammatics and Digital Methods: Studying Visual Social Media, from Selfies and GIFs to Memes and Emoji." Communication Research and Practice 2/1 (March 2016), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2016.1155332
- Ince, J., Rojas, F., & Davis, C. A. "The Social Media Response to Black Lives Matter: How Twitter Users Interact with Black Lives Matter through Hashtag Use." Ethnic and Racial Studies 40/11 (September 2017), 1814–1830. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2017.1334931
- Jackson, S. J., Bailey, M., & Foucault Welles, B. #HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2020.
- Jaworski, A. The Power of Silence: Social and Pragmatic Perspectives. London: SAGE, 1993.
- Mallory, T. "We Asked for Justice, Not Empty Squares." The Root, June 3, 2020. https://www.theroot.com
- Markham, A., & Buchanan, E. Ethical Decision-Making and Internet Research: Recommendations from the AoIR Ethics Working Committee (Version 2.0). Association of Internet Researchers, 2012. https://aoir.org/reports/ethics2.pdf
- Mendes, K., Ringrose, J., & Keller, J. Digital Feminist Activism: Girls and Women Fight Back Against Rape Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
- Nakamura, L., & Chow-White, P. A. (Eds.). Race after the Internet. London: Routledge, 2012.
- Papacharissi, Z. Affective Publics: Sentiment, Technology, and Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. Parikka, J. What Is Media Archaeology? Cambridge: Polity Press, 2012.
- Schumann, K., & Klein, O. "Performing Solidarity or Promoting Change? The Double-Edged Nature of Performative Activism." Journal of Social Issues 77/2 (June 2021), 446–467. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12409
- The Guardian. "Blackout Tuesday: Why Some Social Media Users Are Protesting by Going Dark." The Guardian, June 2, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com
- Tufekci, Z. Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017.
- van Dijk, T. A. "Principles of Critical Discourse Analysis." Discourse & Society 4/2 (April 1993), 249–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926593004002006
- van Leeuwen, T. Discourse and Practice: New Tools for Critical Discourse Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
- Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis (2nd ed.). London: SAGE, 2009.
DİJİTAL SESSiZLiK VE SİMGESEL DİRENİŞ: #BLACKOUTTUESDAY KAMPANYASINDA İLETİŞİMSEL EYLEM OLARAK SESSiZLİK
Abstract
Bu çalışma, Black Lives Matter hareketiyle dayanışma amacıyla ortaya çıkan küresel çevrim içi bir protesto olan #BlackoutTuesday kampanyasında dijital sessizlik ve simgesel direnişin, birer iletişimsel eylem biçimi olarak nasıl işlev gördüğünü incelemektedir. Sessizlik çoğunlukla ifade eksikliği olarak değerlendirilse de bu makale dijital aktivizm bağlamında sessizliğin bilinçli ve simgesel anlam taşıyan bir protesto biçimi olabileceğini ileri sürmektedir. Siyah kare görselleri, kullanıcı açıklamaları ve eleştirel tepkiler dahil olmak üzere Instagram ve Twitter gönderilerinin nitel söylem analizine dayanan bu çalışma, dijital sessizliğin dört temel işlevini belirlemiştir: varlık gösterme, dayanışma, tartışma ve estetik müdahale.
Bulgular, sosyal medya kullanıcılarının görsel ve metinsel minimalizmi yalnızca dijital söylemden çekilmek için değil, aynı zamanda sosyal medya alanını yas, düşünme ve simgesel direniş için yeniden çerçevelemek amacıyla kullandıklarını ortaya koymaktadır. Bununla birlikte, kampanya gösterişli dayanışma ve hayati önemdeki aktivist bilgilerin bastırılması gibi gerilimler de üretmiş, ağ tabanlı kamusal alanlarda simgesel eylemlerin ne kadar tartışmalı olabileceğini göstermiştir. Bu çalışma, sessizliği stratejik ve duygulanımsal bir pratik olarak ele alarak iletişim kuramına katkıda bulunmakta; dijital protesto kültürlerinde eylemsizliğin politik anlamını vurgulamaktadır. Bulgular, niyetle seferber edildiğinde sessizliğin güçlü bir direniş biçimi olabileceğini, ancak algoritmik olarak şekillenen platformlarda yanlış anlaşılma ve sahiplenilmeye açık hale gelebileceğini göstermektedir.
References
- Austin, J. L. How to Do Things with Words. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1962.
- Bonilla, Y., & Rosa, J. "#Ferguson: Digital Protest, Hashtag Ethnography, and the Racial Politics of Social Media in the United States." American Ethnologist 42/1 (January 2015), 4–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/amet.12112
- Bruneau, T. J. "Communicative Silences: Forms and Functions." Journal of Communication 23/1 (March 1973), 17–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1973.tb00929.
- Butler, J. Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performative. London: Routledge, 1997.
- Couldry, N. Why Voice Matters: Culture and Politics after Neoliberalism. London: SAGE, 2010.
- Dean, J. Blog Theory: Feedback and Capture in the Circuits of Drive. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2010.
- Fairclough, N. Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language. London: Longman, 1995.
- Freelon, D., McIlwain, C. D., & Clark, M. D. "Quantifying the Power and Consequences of Social Media Protest." New Media & Society 22/2 (February 2020), 349–369. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819898794
- Highfield, T., & Leaver, T. "Instagrammatics and Digital Methods: Studying Visual Social Media, from Selfies and GIFs to Memes and Emoji." Communication Research and Practice 2/1 (March 2016), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2016.1155332
- Ince, J., Rojas, F., & Davis, C. A. "The Social Media Response to Black Lives Matter: How Twitter Users Interact with Black Lives Matter through Hashtag Use." Ethnic and Racial Studies 40/11 (September 2017), 1814–1830. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2017.1334931
- Jackson, S. J., Bailey, M., & Foucault Welles, B. #HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2020.
- Jaworski, A. The Power of Silence: Social and Pragmatic Perspectives. London: SAGE, 1993.
- Mallory, T. "We Asked for Justice, Not Empty Squares." The Root, June 3, 2020. https://www.theroot.com
- Markham, A., & Buchanan, E. Ethical Decision-Making and Internet Research: Recommendations from the AoIR Ethics Working Committee (Version 2.0). Association of Internet Researchers, 2012. https://aoir.org/reports/ethics2.pdf
- Mendes, K., Ringrose, J., & Keller, J. Digital Feminist Activism: Girls and Women Fight Back Against Rape Culture. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
- Nakamura, L., & Chow-White, P. A. (Eds.). Race after the Internet. London: Routledge, 2012.
- Papacharissi, Z. Affective Publics: Sentiment, Technology, and Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. Parikka, J. What Is Media Archaeology? Cambridge: Polity Press, 2012.
- Schumann, K., & Klein, O. "Performing Solidarity or Promoting Change? The Double-Edged Nature of Performative Activism." Journal of Social Issues 77/2 (June 2021), 446–467. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12409
- The Guardian. "Blackout Tuesday: Why Some Social Media Users Are Protesting by Going Dark." The Guardian, June 2, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com
- Tufekci, Z. Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017.
- van Dijk, T. A. "Principles of Critical Discourse Analysis." Discourse & Society 4/2 (April 1993), 249–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926593004002006
- van Leeuwen, T. Discourse and Practice: New Tools for Critical Discourse Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
- Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis (2nd ed.). London: SAGE, 2009.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Policy and Administration (Other) |
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Early Pub Date | June 20, 2025 |
| Publication Date | |
| Submission Date | April 23, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | June 2, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 10 Issue: 1 |
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