Leiden University Student Repository

Muijden, Jantien van (2018)

#NeverAgain: The Impact of Social Media after the Parkland Shooting

Bachelor thesis | International Studies (BA)

On the 14th of February, 2018, the United States was confronted with yet another school shooting. This time it was at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nicolas Cruz killed 17 people and injured another 14 people with an assault rifle he legally obtained. As mass shootings are a common occurrence in the United States, reactions to one are often predictable and changes regarding gun control are lacking. However, in recent years new actors, in the form of social media, have come to play a role in the aftermath of mass shootings. In the case of the Parkland shooting, social media played a role in crisis communication and in creating both an online and offline activist movement called the Never Again movement. Through different activist efforts, this movement is trying to achieve the implementation of sensible gun laws. By analysing the current gun debate and gun problem in the United States, and by researching the role of social media in the Never Again movement...Show moreOn the 14th of February, 2018, the United States was confronted with yet another school shooting. This time it was at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nicolas Cruz killed 17 people and injured another 14 people with an assault rifle he legally obtained. As mass shootings are a common occurrence in the United States, reactions to one are often predictable and changes regarding gun control are lacking. However, in recent years new actors, in the form of social media, have come to play a role in the aftermath of mass shootings. In the case of the Parkland shooting, social media played a role in crisis communication and in creating both an online and offline activist movement called the Never Again movement. Through different activist efforts, this movement is trying to achieve the implementation of sensible gun laws. By analysing the current gun debate and gun problem in the United States, and by researching the role of social media in the Never Again movement, this thesis will be able to assess the impact of social media on the Parkland shooting and its aftermath.Show less

social media

online activism

mass shooting

crisis communication

Never Again movement

gun control

slacktivism

Author

Muijden, Jantien van

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

BA International Studies

Supervisors

Moody, Simanique

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en