MeToomentum by Valentina D'Efilippo

“MeToomentum” is a self-initiated data visualization project exploring themes, geographical footprint and key moments of the popular social Movement #MeToo. In a World where sexual abuse and workplace harassment are too common, this online dialogue has become a powerful international movement that shed a light on the magnitude of the problem.

We explored themes and global reach of about two hundred thousand tweets containing or related to the hashtag #MeToo. Covering the movement’s first six months, we encoded our findings in a series of three visualisations that resemble the anatomy of a dandelion. Although considered a pest, for its ability to spread and grow anywhere, the common dandelion is a beautiful and complex flower which has been used in popular culture to symbolise: endurance, growth, and the possibility of change.

#MeToo marks a time when Twitter and other social media have become a platform to unfilter and reshape cultural biases. Our project is intended as an archive – we wanted to capture the momentum (from Latin -mentum) the MeToo Movement gained and we wished to celebrate the bravery of all the people who spoke up, sharing their personal and difficult experiences to provide the possibility for change.

“MeToomentum” was exhibited in London as part of the Data Obscura exhibition – curated by Signal Noise, and part of The Economist’s Open Future initiative. It also lives online at metoomentum.com