Online Social Movements: Is It Me, You, or Us? What the Frame Says

Social movement research often views social movements through one of two lenses: a Durkheimian group perspective focused on social norms and behavior or a socio-psychological view focused on self-identity and group affiliation. This empirical study of the #NeverAgain / #MarchForOurLives student social movement that arose after the Parkland, Florida shooting in 2018, explores how the intentional framing of the experience launched a movement that integrated both research perspectives. Building on the foundational research of Leyens et al. (2000) and Vaes et al. (2002) on linguistic determinants of ingroup and outgroup associations, and in combination with Merola and McGlone’s (2011) primary and secondary word lists, this study considers how posts in Twitter indicate a collective identity and if these themes are new and different from the frames of the Parkland students.