Can a Hashtag Really Change the Water Scarcity Issue?
The hashtag has become somewhat of a staple for generation X. It is a staple that we get criticized for as it represents to older generations a lack of face to face socialization. Here may be where we can prove them wrong. Recently the hashtag has gone from a representation of being antisocial to causing social movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #WomensMarch, etc. As the hashtag increases in how society views it, this is our chance to use it for invoking change not only with social justice issues but environmental as well. Thinking about hashtags, it is easy to forget that they are essentially little links. If you are to click on one it will pull up multitudes of photos and/or posts that have used the hashtag. So when we think of hashtags we need to remember that they reach a lot of different people, can act as advertisement, and slogans. So, let us talk about an environmental issue that could be positively influenced by the introduction of a hashtag.
With the world seemingly in peril with plenty of environmental issues popping up daily, we need to make sure that we understand what these issues mean for us and future generations. One of these issues is “Water Scarcity.” Water scarcity is “… the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region.” (Science Daily). Although this matter can make it seem as though it only applies to areas where the water no longer exists and leaves the population in a drought, Science Daily’s definition is broad enough to understand that many may think this way about water scarcity. This term, however, does not encapsulate the diversity of the water issue, therefore not reaching the younger generations who are most likely to change the effects of water scarcity.
A familiar image that might pop up when a person first hears “water scarcity” is the classic western standoff. Where the protagonist and antagonist of the film and they have a proper duel in the middle of their dry, dusty Industrial Era town (almost The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly-esque). The point is that most people do not usually associate a suburban neighborhood or a place that occupies more than a tumbleweed and Clint Eastwood on a horse. This term needs to be adjusted so that it draws more people in from younger generations. It must explain the diversity of depleting water sources so that the generations to come are not left with a dry, deserted Earth. Although there is not much research and information on the usage trend of hashtags especially for #waterscarcity, there is information on the word without a hashtag. Using Google’s “Ngram Viewer” we can see that the term “Water Scarcity” has only just started to be used more frequently in literature. So even the term by itself is not reaching a very large audience. As the water scarcity issue increases the use of the term should increase just as quickly if not more if we would like to see a change with this issue.
Water Scarcity affects everyone differently
The world now has limited access to fresh water. We have seen it get some adverse changes and it only seems to be getting worse. We need to recognize the importance of “water scarcity” and that it holds more than one definition. Water scarcity is often associated with areas where the water sources are depleting if they are not all gone completely. Also, it can be useful to describe areas where the water is contaminated. Finding clean water has become difficult and finding areas that do not have physical access to a water source has become harder. Water scarcity takes on many faces and simply does not look the same in all communities or areas around the world. The community of Flint, Michigan experiences water scarcity with its primary water source having been contaminated by lead. Families now throughout the town of Flint, are forced to find water through alternative routes like exclusively using plastic water bottles for cooking, cleaning, and drinking.
Even parts of Africa and many other areas experience water scarcity because they do not have easy access to water. Some more rural areas, women and children may have to walk several miles only to bring back a bucket or two of water. Thankfully, according to recent years, it looks as though we have not had a water source dry up just yet. The world has gotten close though — in September of 2018, South Africa announced they are running low on clean water. Also, it has been reported that South Africa is in the lead to become the first country to run out of clean water entirely. Not to mention, all of California has been in a drought since 2000, but Oregon has also experienced droughts. The most recent one having been just last year (2018), according to Willamette Week the drought covered about 93% of Oregon. These places have experienced different forms of water scarcity very recently, and as the younger generation, we need to be paying attention to the issues around us. In Oregon, we not only lost water but agricultural land as well.
The Younger Generation is Here to Help
Water scarcity is not a topic that many people talk about regularly. Why would they when there are more exciting things to discuss? Whether its politics, internet memes or boy drama, environmental issues like this one seem to be left out of most conversations. Let us face it — talking about environmental issues (and more specifically water scarcity) is not the top priority. As millennials, it is challenging to manage our responsibilities and live a life full of expectation we created for ourselves in a world that is changing around us. For the most part, college students do not talk about water scarcity unless they have to for a class. A possibility of getting younger generations involved more is representation from others who are similar in age or even younger.
At the moment two young women are trying to make a change; Macy Corney and Greta Thunberg. Macy Corney is advocating for Flint, Michigan (her hometown). Older generations may think that the only way to get through to the younger generation is through hashtags, surprisingly Macy does not use hashtags. If you are to look through her instagram account, @littlemissflint, she rarely uses hashtags. As she is a minor this could be because her account is run by a parent or manager of some sort. Possibly putting the term “water scarcity” into a hashtag may grab more attention or at least reach a larger platform. Even for Macy’s situation using hashtags more frequently could get her more publication and awareness of her water scarcity issue. If she uses more hashtags that are somewhat relevant to her issue, it increases the chances of those in the social media generations to come across these sorts of environmental and social issues.
Greta Thunberg, however, is a sixteen-year-old Swedish girl who is striking for climate change and she frequents her use of hashtags more than Macy. Gretas publicity is almost always about climate change, and reaches a whopping 1.8 million followers with her Instagram, @Gretathunberg. She has used social media to her benefit with her fight for change and seems to understand the amount of people she is able to reach using this platform. Although Greta does not use the term #waterscarcity she does include hashtags in almost every single post through her social medias, whether that be through Instagram or Twitter. Greta and Macy seem to be the only ones from a younger generation who are holding the fate of our environmental issues in their hands. However, they will be around a lot longer than the older generations who can not put as much work into change with the rest of their lifetime. These two women prove that the younger generation can spark conversation: starting a movement that hopefully attracts the younger generations we need to make a change.
This generation is not thinking about water scarcity because we do not know about it, but because it is not an issue that we see daily. It could be argued that the generations older than us pay more attention to the news more than this generation does. This is an issue that if left undealt with it will be like a boiling pot of water. Eventually the water will boil away and we will be left with a burnt pot. As social media has skyrocketed in our time compared to the past, increasing the use of a hashtag for water scarcity could get the younger generation more involved. If a person is to search “#waterscarcity,” you will find that the posts popping up are from other countries or the hashtag itself is followed by the name of the country. The hashtag itself is not popular among our generation in the United States, but is still a topic of conversation in some parts of the world. Even Flint, Michigan does not use a hashtag calling on water scarcity. For a country that seems to be viewed by other countries as running on social media, it seems strange that we are not utilizing an aspect of social media that can reach so many people around the world.
Just as everything evolves like the generations of smartphones that are extremely popular, this term needs to evolve to grab the attention of the younger generations. The term “water scarcity” does the meaning no justice as water scarcity does not contribute only to the lack of water but carries a domino effect of other issues with it. An alternative term that can get the point across that lacking water is not the only issue we will face, but as Fluence states in their article, “Water is a pressing need in many areas of the world. That scarcity is spreading as water is needed to grow and process food, create energy and serve the industry for a continually growing population. Climate change is a key contributing factor.” There needs to be a term for water scarcity that will evoke more emotion and sense of urgency in our generation and the generations after.
Water Scarcity is a crucial term to know, but it needs a face lift. It will attract more attention from younger generations and hopefully it will encourage them as much as past generations have encouraged us. Using it in a hashtag form may increase awareness among a younger audience. Making the whole definition readily available as well will increase the understanding that it does not mean having a drought or no drought — but that it is defined by the access to clean and drinkable water. Who knows if adding a hashtag to the term will increase its usage, but it is worth it to try.
Works Cited
“What Is Water Scarcity?” Fluence Corporation, 2 Nov. 2017, www.fluencecorp.com/what-is-water-scarcity/.
“Water Scarcity.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily,
www.sciencedaily.com/terms/water_scarcity.htm.
Herron, Elise, et al. “Oregon Reaches Critical Drought Levels After Driest Summer West of the Cascades in 40 Years.” Willamette Week, www.wweek.com/news/2018/09/08/oregon-reaches-critical-drought-levels-after-driest-summer-west-of-the-cascades-in-40-years/.
