Mediating memories: Individual remembering of two mass protests in Hong Kong

Abstract

This article aims to discuss the roles of media in shaping and sustaining personal memories of social movements. Through 24 in-depth interviews with witnesses of and participants in two mass protests in Hong Kong, it examines how media might contribute to differences in individual remembering. First, it found that individual remembering was characterized by a strong embodiment of various senses, experiences, and emotions. Second, personal memory was articulated and embedded in layers of social relations. Finally, media were often remembered as tools of mobilization by activists in protests. It argued that two key conditions were crucial for the formation of lasting personal memory: the presence of embodied experiences, and meaningful social connections. It shed light on the roles of media in terms of technology and generations. It identified how changing media technologies facilitated information environments that emphasized on different senses and hence favoring certain experiences, emotions, interpretations, and participation in the memory-making process.