Woke as a New Generation Humiliation

Woke, which emerged as a word that emphasizes social equality and justice in the USA, became the subject of discussions over time. The word literally awakened or means awake. Firstly, it was used by conservative and extreme rightists to condemn and marginalize leftist ideology. Then woke began to decorate the traditional and new media tools of the West and other countries. Now we have witnessed the fact that it was severed from the context of the word and transformed into a language of hatred.

Woke, which was used by black activists in America many years ago, entered the literature with the definition of social justice and equality in 2017. In this development, the demonstrations and rebellions that started with the black Michael Brown killed in America were effective. The #staywoke tag became popular on social media and the global effect of the word strengthened. The quest for justice, which started with systematic violence applied to blacks, caused a wide use of the word woke, which was also adopted by other activists. There was a purpose of raising awareness against minorities, various social causes, and events that hurt society. Woke, which conservatives frequently started to use, was preferred to humiliate academics, artists, and liberalists. When racists, sexists, misogynists, and homophobes were added to this audience, it became a word that was frequently used in the digital medium. In addition to that, woke, which transcends the political scene, expanded its effect on popular culture. People were subjected to insults through preferences such as being black, homosexual, or being a woman in movies, TV series, or video games. In addition, people who contradicted their ideology on social media were stigmatized as woke. This view was usually based on male sovereignty, the superiority of whites, or the traditional way of life. Therefore, it is used as an extension of lynching culture and cyber violence that has lost its meaning today.

With the more interaction of negative campaigns, social media content prepared with Woke continues to be fed through Woke. We hope that a more inclusive and peaceful language will dominate for users who consume digital content and the whole world.