Hashtag Covid19NasFavelas: A Physically Distant Space for Information, Solidarity, and Criticism

Abstract:Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, we analyzed the physically distant and newly created virtual space comprised by the hashtag Covid19NasFavelas. We sought to answer the questions, why has this new virtual space been created and what initial purpose did it serve? To do so, we analyzed 2,918 total images that were posted with the hashtag #CovidNasFavelas over the course of thirty-eight days. We determined that nearly 80 percent of the images could be categorized into three groups: (1) Public Service Announcements, (2) Movements of Solidarity, and (3) Race and Politics. We found that the creation of a physically distant virtual place (#Covid19NasFavelas) became a participatory platform in which vulnerable communities forged a path to their own survival during the COVID-19 pandemic.