“What the heck does # mean?!?” The suddenly ubiquitous # had finally driven my friend crazy enough to leave this as his Facebook status. I laughed out loud.
I remember when # referred to phone numbers. Now it’s a global phenomenon. Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake’s all too true and purely hilarious hashtag skit reminds us just how prevalent it’s become.
This little symbol is is now driving how we remark on almost everything in the virtual world and beyond. The hashtag phenomenon is more than a shortcut or way to spread a little humor; it represents four things deep in our souls.
Voice. Every human wants to know their voice matters. For good or for ill social media gives each person a louder voice, and platform than they could gain through face-to-face relationships. The hashtag gives a declarative nature to the end of a statement giving it more humor, negativity, emphasis or curiosity. #haha #cynical #boom! #madeyouthink
Connection. Hashtags instantly connect us to other perspectives and images from all over the world that have some common relationship. # connects you to others you will never meet in “real” life, but may be thinking, photographing or commenting in a similar vein. In a global society not only can we travel the world, but with one simple # our thoughts can too. #thoughtsthatconnect #speedofclick #whoelse?
Resonance. Every human wants to know their thoughts resonate with others. They want to know they are valid and others can identify. For example, when a man hashtags #wifesaidno a husband wants to know he’s not the only husband to try to pull off some crazy stunt that got shut down. Just one other person hashtagging the same word or phrase reminds us we are not alone. #canyouidentify #metoo
Importance. Everyone longs to feel important. In societies marked by knowledge, like ours, saying wise things make us feel important. We might read a whole article and then comment #itsreallyaboutmoney as our take on what it actually said. That one hashtag can pique interest and start a whole dialogue based on your tag. #listenup #legit #Iknowstuff
It is just a few tiny lines representing desires in our souls. As new as this global phenomenon might be, these four desires are as old as the human race.
Don’t be fooled; #hashtagsaresoulexpressions.