Social movements in the context of electronic social networks

In the article the author attempts to consider social movements through the prism of their manifestation in electronic social networks. Barriers to the development of social movements that can be overcome through the use of electronic social networks, which are constantly gaining popularity, are considered. In addition, electronic social networks are shown as one of the sources of information about modern social movements; the steps and actions of social movement leaders in electronic social networks are examined against the background of the stages of their development. The study of big data in electronic social networks allows to define a social movement as a complex of informal interpersonal and group interactions, which complicates the identification of participants. However, analyzing account data, groups, and communities can help you understand the image, social connections, beliefs, and interests of users participating in social movements, as well as their activity. This allows to highlight the characteristics associated with the movement and identify the composition of its participants.