*All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
I am a slacktivist. Over the last few years I have signed petitions, donated to charities and liked posts about social issues on Instagram. But I have never taken to the streets to show what I stand for. I admire my peers who get off their couch to let the world hear their voice. I am not getting any further than swiping on my phone and agreeing with the protestors who are occupying university buildings or blocking highways. This leads to mixed feelings about my contribution to the social issues I support. The Instagram post ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ was shared tens of millions of times in 48 hours, which shows I am probably not the only one struggling with these feelings. Do these minimal efforts lead to actual changes or is it time to get off my couch and take a more active role?
Slacktivism?
The term ‘slacktivism’ is a compound of the words ‘slacker’ and ‘activism’. The Oxford English Dictionary defines slacktivism as ‘actions performed via the internet in support of a political or social cause (e.g. signing an online petition), characterized as requiring little time, effort, or commitment, or as providing more personal satisfaction than public impact’.
Slacktivism is often used to describe new forms of youth activism, like sharing posts, changing your profile picture or wearing a statement T-shirt. It represents forms of participation that require minimal effort and civil disobedience, but is socially acknowledged and praised [1].
Criticism
There is a debate going on about slacktivism not being a valid form of activism. It would be ineffective, not leading to real change and offering a false sense of accomplishment [2]. Others add that slacktivism does not provide strong, trusted relationships which are needed for high-risk activism¹. Research shows that big and riskful protests do lead to bigger impact; streets full of committed protestors give a strong signal to society and politics of how serious the cause is [3]. Online actions do not have these kinds of effects. In addition to this, low effort actions, like liking a post or sharing a hashtag, can give participants the illusion they have made a difference and thinking the job is done, which reduces further engagement. Some fear that slacktivism can even withhold people from more meaningful activism [4].
The strengths of slacktivism
The rise of social media has expanded the possibilities for social movements. These platforms allow them to increase visibility, share information on the social issue they stand for and reach a wide audience who can be potentially mobilized. It is important that slacktivism is not seen in isolation, but in relationship with other forms of activism. While low-effort forms of online engagement may not lead to systematic change on its own, it gives individuals a chance to get acquainted with a social movement and engage in action.
A key point of slacktivism is its ability to spread awareness. Movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo started online, went viral and sparked widespread debates, which were taken to the streets and even led to policy alterations [5].
Studies have shown that people who engage in online activism are more likely to get involved in traditional offline activities [6] [7].
The internet allows more people, especially younger generations to participate in social movements without the need to commit much time or effort [8]. This way marginalized groups are able to amplify their voices and issues, like what happened in the Arab Spring or in the #FridaysForFuture movement [9]. For individuals just beginning their journey into activism, these low-effort actions provide a way to get a feeling with a movement, which can lead to more engagement and even new generations of activists.
Conclusion
So, slacktivism can be a powerful type of activism as long as it is paired with traditional forms of activism and seen as a starting point and not the end goal. It has the ability to make big groups of people aware about important social issues, who may eventually be mobilized for more intensive forms of activism. The challenge for social movements is to use social media wisely to reach as many people as possible. Every movement needs different types of supporters, those who are willing to take risks in the streets and those who can spread the word.
For me, it is time to consider getting off my couch and into the streets, because if everyone stays hidden behind their screens, no real change will happen. If you are like me, slacking in your activism, consider what you can do, what suits you, and for which cause you are willing to take the streets.
References
[1] Gladwell, M. (2010, 27 september). Small change. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/10/04/small-change-malcolm-gladwell
[2] Morozov, E. (2009, May 19). The brave new world of slacktivism. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/05/19/the-brave-new-world-of-slacktivism/
[3] Gause, L. (2020). Revealing issue salience via Costly protest: How Legislative behavior following protest Advantages Low-Resource Groups. British Journal of Political Science, 52(1), 259–279. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007123420000423
[4] Halupka, M. (2014). Clicktivism: a systematic heuristic. Policy & Internet, 6(2), 115–132. https://doi.org/10.1002/1944-2866.poi355
[5] Zohouri, M., Darvishi, M., & Sarfi, M. (2020). Slacktivism: a Critical Evaluation. Journal of Cyberspace Studies, 4(2), 173-188. https://doi.org/10.22059/JCSS.2020.93911
[6] Bode, L., Vraga, E. K., Borah, P., & Shah, D. V. (2013). A New Space for Political Behavior: Political Social Networking and its Democratic Consequences. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(3), 414–429. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12048
[7] Chadwick, A., & Dennis, J. (2016). Social Media, professional media and mobilisation in contemporary Britain: Explaining the strengths and weaknesses of the citizens’ movement 38 degrees. Political Studies, 65(1), 42–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321716631350
[8] Vitak, J., Zube, P., Smock, A., Carr, C. T., Ellison, N., & Lampe, C. (2010). It’s complicated: Facebook users’ political participation in the 2008 election. Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking, 14(3), 107–114. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2009.0226
[9] Howard, P. N., & Hussain, M. M. (2011). The role of digital media. Journal of Democracy, 22(3), 35–48. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2011.0041
[10] Van den Toorn, J. (2024) 16 oktober 2024 [Cartoon]. De Volkskrant.
