What is the purpose of using a "hashtag" in tweets?

[folklore]

It's my understanding that the "hashtag" is what I always referred to as the "number" symbol. What does it mean now?
I don't "tweet". But, the reporting of them has drifted into the days information and I'm always hearing about the "hashtag". I now see it's a way of compiling like minded information. So, people shouldn't mind big brother as they are making it easy to be followed.

[Mossyheart]

It's basically just to categorize tweets.

[rebekah]

Hi I hope your day is going well!
The hashtag is to categorize the tweets.

[ashley]

When you use a hashtag it highlights the word and other people can click on it and see everybody elses tweets with the same hashtag. You can also look up the word and see everybodys tweets with the hashtag.

[Peggy]

I must be very out of touch. I have absolutely no idea what a hashtag is. Perhaps if I continue reading the answers to this I will learn something.

[David]

I don,t even know how one tweets my friend.

[M P A]

Please explain the meaning of the words hashtag and tweet. I must need a new dictionary.

[handyman]

It's my understanding that if you tweet to a certain hashtag, everyone who is interested in that particular hashtag can see all the tweets that are sent to it.

However, I think tweeting is one of the silliest and most dangerous pasttimes there is. You always hear of people getting into trouble because of the things they said in the heat of the moment.

Donald Trump should not be allowed near a Twitter feed, as shown on election night.