Professor and journalist Jeff Jarvis skyped into What's Trending Live to discuss the controversial hashtag he initiated over Twitter aimed at the powers that be over in Washington.
What first began as anger over the debt ceiling negotiations, became something much more as tens of thousands of tweets flooded the social stream filled with #FuckYouWashington and taking aim at the overall political process.
Although he was the first to point a virtual middle finger at Washington to his over 75,000 Twitter followers, Jarvis attributes the hashtag's popularity and resonance to a political climate that's simply an "effed up mess" and citizens that aren't going to sit back in silence anymore. He's posted some of his favorites on his own blog, BuzzMachine.com.
"Obviously it is what people think. The thing about the Internet is that you don't control a message," Jarvis said. "It's not like media or marketing or politics where people think they create and control messages. On the Internet you throw a message out and either it resonates or it doesn't."
Jarvis also sees a way for Washington to take the outrage as constructive criticism, a reminder that they are a representation of the everyday person and that those people will no longer be ignored. "The lesson for all politicians and all large institutions is that the people finally have a voice and they better damn well listen," Jarvis said.
Tune in and join the conversation every Tuesday at 10 A.M. PST / 1 P.M. EST for the latest episode of What's Trending.