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Ilana Waite, PsyD, is a 2025 graduate of the PsyD program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, Seattle.

Dissertation Committee:

Jude Bergkamp, PsyD, Committee Chair

Michael Toohey, PhD, ABPP, Committee Member

Jordan Fullam, PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

social media activism, identity, social privilege, grounded theory

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

With the rapid development of technology in the 21st century and the advent of social media, people are increasingly turning to online spaces to connect with their local and global communities. One piece of this puzzle is social media activism. There is currently limited research on how one’s identity and their experiences with privilege/oppression based on their identity play a role in their social media activism. Most of the literature in this area utilizes quantitative means or questionnaires. In an effort to yield a new perspective, this study was conducted with a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine the complex relationship between identity and social media activism. The findings illustrated how individuals within their agent and target ranks seek to make sense of their experiences/observations of discrimination by turning to social media. This initiates a process by which individuals simultaneously engage in social media activism and go through an identity development process. This social media activism/identity development process is mediated by one’s agent and target ranks. Additionally, barriers such as dysconsciousness, fear of judgement from peers, fear of discrimination, echo chambers and performative activism can stunt or disrupt this process. Current literature corroborates these findings. Understanding the intersection between identity and social media activism, especially the barriers this theory has identified, may help to illuminate next steps in research and in the practice of activism which must be taken in order for online activism to continue to be a force for change. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (http://aura.antioch.edu/) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu/).

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Ilana Waite, PsyD, 2025

ORCID Scholar ID# 0009-0005-3898-1064

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