The Evolution Of The Twitter Hashtag

Aug. 23, 2022 marks the 15th anniversary of the Twitter hashtag. While it has organized countless content on the app, finding a straightforward history of the hashtag isn’t as easy as searching #hashtaghistory. Read on to learn how the hashtag has evolved over time.

Stylized Hashtags

Though many users began adding related hashtags to drive traffic to their content, they also became quirky additions to posts. Users began ending their tweets with punchlines like “#fml” or #lol to add humor to posts.

Social Movements

The Twitter hashtag has also been used in social movements — to organize efforts, spread awareness, and share support. According to Twitter, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was first used in 2013, and became the second most used hashtag in 2020.

Hashtags help propel social causes into the mainstream. For example, in 2017, #MeToo — a hashtag co-opted from the work of activist Tarana Burke, who coined the phrase in 2006 — went viral, reigniting discussions about sexual assault.

Conversation & Connection

Twitter has become a platform for daily internet discourse. And hashtags are often used to compile conversations all into one place — from live event watch party hashtags like #Oscars2022, to hot button hashtags like #TheSlap.

Twitter Hashtags Today

Though certain hashtag trends may have come and gone, hashtags are still kicking today. According to Twitter, over 17 billion tweets have contained at least one hashtag since the start of 2022.

Some of the most popular hashtags in 2022 are #NFT, used in 16 million tweets; #BTS, used in 15 million tweets; and #Euphoria, used in 5 million tweets, Twitter says. Even after 15 years, the hashtag serves as a great unifier for cultural conversations and connection.