Institute of Art Design + Technology
Dún Laoghaire

Ali Pierse 

BA [Hons] New Media Studies

New Media Studies student. I have a specific interest in social media analysis and radio production. I'm incredibly focused, driven and take great initiative to make every idea bigger and better than the last. I am open minded and always evolving. Throughout my studies, I've enjoyed expanding my knowledge about the media world and inheriting new skills that can be applied to any media based job field. I am constantly on the hunt for the next big up-and-coming wave of new media. I believe I would be a valuable asset to any future employer.

Project Description

For my project I shed a light on social media usage during the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020. Using surveys, personal research, and academic references I was able to analyse how and why media users and activists were able to use social media as a political aid when protesting. The project also analyses whether the shift from the physical to the technological is a welcomed form of political activism or not.


How Instagram has aided political and social activism online in Ireland specifically looking at the Black Lives Matter Movement in Ireland.

For my academic write up I focused on the theoretical side of my project. Using key academic readings and personal surveys that I undertook, I was able to give an in-depth analysis on how social media could be used as a political tool in the future. I gave an impartial view to the pros and cons of the situation but coming to the consensus that if placed in the right hands, social media users can continue on the journey of online activism.