Slacktivism A Double-Edged Sword in the Fight Against Social Injustice


Thanks to online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, information sharing and the option to publicly endorse joining a cause or contributing to a campaign has become the norm. This modern day phenomenon of individuals believing that their click of a button is driving progress — without really taking the time to delve deep into the issue — is known as Slacktivism. While people of all ages can be slacktivists, youth are often associated with internet-spread trends. In this critique, Aleka Allen explores how the readily accessible is decreasing levels of actual involvement and asks: are acts of slacktivism sufficient to create meaningful progress?


Originally posted on http://www.freshprintmagazine.com I


t’s no secret that our daily lives are becoming increasingly reliant on digital technology. Within the past twenty years, simple tasks


such as ordering meals, watching television shows and movies, and even making charitable donations have been made possible from the comfort of your smartphone or while relaxing in front of your computer, and social media and networking websites have made it easier to reach out to others and to provide a means for building relationships. In recent years, more and more charities and social causes as well as organizations have taken their campaigns online to raise awareness and generate more supporters for their cause. More and more organizations have taken to social media to corral users into publicly showing their support for their cause of choice by clicking on the ‘like’ button on Facebook or retweeting their latest


tweet. Problematically,


such actions are causing more harm than good — at least when looking to measure social progress. Realistically, it will take a lot more than a passive ‘like’ to actually instigate social change, but these methods of giving back are breeding a new type of activist: the Slacktivist.


What is Slacktivism?


The Oxford English dictionary defines slacktivism as: actions performed via Internet


in support of a political or social cause


but regarded as requiring little time or involvement, e.g. signing an online petition or joining a campaign group on a social media website. In other words, slacktivism provides a low-risk, low- cost,


technology-mediated participation for the user without


demanding much from them in return. When considering the G20 riots in Toronto in June 2010, it’s easy to see why this so- called form of activism is appealing. Why go to a protest and risk being on the receiving end of police brutality when sharing


34 iAM Youth as... Allies by Aleka Allen


a picture or news link onto a social media platform will provide the illusion of participation? Similarly, asking a celebrity that you follow on Twitter to retweet on behalf of a fundraiser you support is an act of slacktivism. Sharing a picture of a smiling survivor of a terminal illness who is asking for 10,000 likes for not dying is also slacktivism, assuming that’s the extent of the contribution to effecting the change that’s being endorsed, which is commonly the case or campaign function. Slacktivism presents an option to engage in feel-good anonymous altruism, yet isn’t a form of participation in the real sense. It removes the element of going outside the digital realm to truly taking action that would create meaningful impact.


The Grey Area of Slacktivism


While this new type of social activism might not be the ideal method of instigating tangible social progress, it is effective in increasing brand recognition,


in gaining exposure and widespread public


attention, and in encouraging dialogue rooted in issues that matter. Since December 2010, uprisings in several countries in the Middle East have resulted in the ousting of authoritarian and corrupt leaders in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen. Slacktivistsm played a huge part in promoting awareness of the Arab Spring protests by increasing the visibility of national and international priorities, such as political corruption and human rights violations, inflation, and authoritarianism in the Middle East. The wave of protests, demonstrations (both violent and non-violent),


rallies, strikes,


and civil wars have garnered worldwide attention and extensive coverage of many of the uprisings that are continuing to this day. It is undeniable that the momentum built through social media played a crucial role and was instrumental in building momentum garnering attention from the international media. Many of


the


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42