Passion and Politics meet Hollywood Boulevard
The 21st Century is most definitely a force to be reckoned with. From social media influencers to memes that actually shape cultures, there is no doubt that this is quite a time to be alive. We live in a world where our online identities are constantly tracked, a world where one of the most powerful nations is run by a corrupt and avid Twitter user, and a world where our self-worth is often measured by thoughtless vanity metrics. Social media, coupled with its effects, power, and users, provides scholars and society alike with a gold mine to study. Most recently, the topic of social justice and equality has become ever so relevant online and in real life, further making social media, and powerful, passionate individuals the perfect pair.
One extremely noteworthy individual in this sector is award-winning actress Shailene Woodley. Most commonly known for her roles in Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, Insurgent and more, Woodley is alternatively known for her burning passion and free-spirited aura. A girl who is not afraid to speak her mind on all fronts and will go to all ends to do so. For a large portion of her life, she even had the will to disassociate herself from an online presence, once claiming, she only had a cell phone because of management demands while working on Divergent. Platforms with a mass amount of worldwide users and features that make communication nearly seamless are quite the duo, and it didn’t take Woodley long to notice this. Despite her short, sporadic, casual use of social media in the past, Woodley made her true debut on Instagram in 2016. Her online presence resembles that of her true self, it has a purpose and exists for a greater good, challenging and changing the norms of today.
Woodley has proven through her authentic online presence, and passion for change that using social media and all its features can lead to incredible progress, success, and recognition.
A key to online success lies in both the authenticity of the content posted, along with the individual them self. As followers, we feed off content that we can resonate and see the truth within. Since the dawn of Woodley’s social media journey, it has been apparent that she would be nothing less than authentic, raw, and meaningful with not only her followers but society as a whole. Her content covers various topics, stemming from politics, to environmental movements, to social justice— one thing that never fails to show within this is her truth, passion, and purpose.
She conveniently commenced her Instagram journey during the 2016 US Presidential election run, a topic which she has much to say about:
She additionally posted much of her involvement in the #UpToUs movement, fighting for justice and equality for humanity:
Woodley then became extremely active in the #RezpectOurWater movement and protested alongside those trying to prevent the installation of a pipeline across North and South Dakota that would threaten native land and waters — a movement that would eventually lead to much more than just her passion to protect humanity and the world:
With just a glimpse of Woodley’s short Instagram journey, it is evident that her status can be considered nothing less than that of an influencer. An influencer can be most basically defined as an individual who has the ability to affect other people’s thinking and doing in a social online community. They are often individuals that have the power to affect the decisions of others based on their knowledge, social status, authority, etc. Her content always embodies an explicit message and purpose which she is not afraid to keep to herself. She has been able to inspire, influence, and move her followers and community alike, just by extending her true beliefs.
This is explicitly demonstrated, whether it be through Woodley’s journey in political campaigns:
Or, her journey with environmental protection:
Or, her fight for social justice:
Whatever it be, it’s clear that Woodley has found social media to be a direct method to convert her passion into power. She is able to share her own beliefs and encourage others to find their own. She uses social media with a direct purpose, which is not the typical purpose seen and accompanied by platforms such as Hootsuite, brand partnerships, and sponsors. Woodley knows what she’s doing and why she’s doing it, and within this, she actively involves and encourages her community. She uses social media solely as a communicative, amplification method, not one for profit or personal gain. Although it may seem as though a large portion of our society is more right-wing than ever before, it is through figures and activists, such as Woodley that encourages the remainder of us to either start, or continue to fight and believe that we do have the power to make a change.
A factor to consider in Woodley’s journey and those of a similar nature is Activism and Slacktivism, these are the deciding factors of whether or not participating in a movement such as those shown by Woodley is for true change or just a ‘feel good’ moment.
So what is Activism? Activism is easily defined as, the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change — ie. rallies, campaigns, marches, etc (Khan, 2018). In opposition, Slacktivism is defined as the ‘feel-good’ measures in support of an issue or social cause — ie. internet petitions, being part of an organization but not contributing to organization initiatives (Khan, 2018). It is the side of these two concepts that Woodley falls on that makes her as impactful and powerful as she is. She embodies activism on all fronts as she takes what she believes in and turns it into something that can affect society and create social change. When true activism isn’t the case, no progress is made, and instead, there are various types of fatigue that occur, people get tired of seeing the same things over and over again, and no progress. This will often lead to a lack of engagement and participation in the social cause, instead of participation and change like we see in Woodley’s movements.
Although all fights, interactions, and movements on Woodley’s social media and life are noteworthy, there is one movement which explicitly shows the online power she has managed to obtain. Throughout her participation in the #RezpectOurWater movement, Woodley had posted various videos creating awareness for the issue, along with participating in different protests with hopes of halting the proposal.
On October 10th, 2016, Woodley used her passion coupled with her following and went live on Facebook while she and other protestors fought against the proposed oil pipeline project that would run through North and South Dakota’s Native land. The project would cost nearly four billion dollars and propose a specific threat to the waters of these areas (via Hollywood Reporter). During her Facebook live stream, Woodley peacefully protested with thousands of others and then revoked herself from the protest upon the arrival of authorities. Despite her cooperation and peaceful manner her power and use of social media resulted in her arrest. She was the first individual arrested at the protest despite the many others who were at the same convenience to the police, doing the exact same thing.
Woodley is using social media to its fullest potential as she has become socially aware of the impact and influence it obtains and can be put to use on various platforms. This factor is something that officials and the government, in particular, are fearful of as the power of the mass public is difficult to overcome. It became apparent through this Facebook Live Stream, that Woodley was able to enable this influence on the public and fear on officials. She is one person with an immense following and a strong voice — posing a great threat to the system and the capitalist actions proposed. It is apparent that Woodley recognizes this status through her words from the live stream,
“I’m being arrested. I was down there with everyone else. I don’t know what’s going on. As soon as they came, I left. It’s because I’m well known. It’s because I have 40'000 people watching…We were going to our vehicle, which they had all surrounded and were waiting for me with giant guns and a giant truck behind them so they could arrest me. I hope you’re watching mainstream media…” — Shailene Woodley via Facebook Live
Here you’ll see for yourself, the peaceful and righteous actions taken to protect and preserve our world. Skip to the 2:00:00 mark to see the police interference and arrest:
The crucial part of Woodley’s activism not only lies in her online self but also in the fact that she is so present at the rallies and protests she creates online awareness for. She dedicates a large portion of her life solely to the progression and well being of humanity and makes that ever so clear. By showing up to these events and truly giving her all for everyday citizens Woodley shows the authenticity and general good-will that she familiarizes in her online identity. Her social media presence and significance can be classified as nothing less than authentic, powerful, and inspiring. Without being dishonest she has the ability to compel people to seek good and do good. She has taken platforms which are often used for personal progression and turned them into a place where she can extend her good-will and encourage others to do the same. Every post and engagement serves a purpose — and a selfless one at that.
I strongly believe Woodley’s online presence for justice and equality, will only become stronger and more well-known. Between activism and slacktivism, and pure purpose and intent it is clear that Woodley has managed to get herself on the right side of this virtual fence. She has a desirable and empowering authentic image and doesn’t fail to stay true to it. Setbacks such as an arrest for protesting will be the last thing to end Woodley’s journey, as it’s clear that she is entirely aware of her influence and effect.
After her arrest in the protest to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, Woodley took to Instagram to share some inspiration and continue her fight for the future:
The selfless girl’s belongings fit in a suitcase, she uses clay to brush her teeth, sesame oil to whiten them (moviefone), and clearly thrives off of each and every time she can walk alongside those with a fight to fight. As we are only two years deep in Woodley’s social media journey and have already seen so much progress and change, it will be fascinating to see what she will continue to do with her platforms and her purpose. It is fair to assume it will be nothing but the most imperative and inspiring work.
What a time to be alive.
