Time to Rethink Slacktivism!

I think it is time to think again about our activism.

Nowadays, activism is closely tied with the internet. Think about #BringBackOurGirls campaign, #PrayforParis or the famous #IceBucketChallenge.

 

But can we reeeeally consider ourselves as an “activist” by being active on social media?

Sure, with Instagram and Facebook deeply occupying our lives, we can spread an event or a hashtag to raise awareness to millions of people in a day. But so what?

Is vaguely knowing about the ALS disease going to help the suffering people? Did hashtagging #BringBackOurGirls scare the terrorists enough to bring back our girls? There’s still almost 300 girls kept in captive unfortunately. 

This is where people introduce the word “slactivism.” People argue that maybe these hashtags are just a way of making us feel better about ourselves when we really aren’t doing much.  For example, changing your profile picture or pouring water (a precious resource) over your head didn’t do much…If you think this way, yes slacktivism is very negative.

BUUUUUUT I think the above cartoon is

like this blog suggests!

Even though we ourselves maybe couldn’t do much except nominate 3 people but, maybe making this challenge big, helped raise awareness to people who COULD actually do something. Even though "only" 11% of the people who participated in the event donated, in the end, it did raise millions of $$$, and the organizers say the money donated was 50 times the usual amount. Without the challenge, there wouldn't have even been that 11%! And it is 11% of like almost 30 million people!!

Changing profile pictures also could not sadly bring back the victims, but it was a way to show sympathy…

But the dictionary definition of an activism is “the practice of vigorous action or involvement as a means of achieving political or other goals, sometimes by demonstrations, protests, etc.”

With this definition, I don't think we can call ourselves an activist just by doing those things, as I wouldn’t consider typing or clicking a few buttons a “vigorous” action.

If you wanted to do something to become an activist, you will have to do more than hashtagging, like participate in this march.

Then are we slactivists?

The definition of slacktivism is “actions performed via the internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement,” so I guess so. But I don't think it is as bad as the word seems to suggest. For instance, we could have inspired actions from people who actually have the potential to be influential or pressure the leaders, and the small donations via texts could build up. 

One small movement to one big miracle...a slogan that swept Korea when the majority of us couldn't do much except pray for those in the sinking ship with hundreds of students and change our profile pictures to a yellow ribbon just two years ago. The yellow ribbon campaign is another I guess example of "slacktivism." BUT I believe that the families of the students could gain support from  these ribbons, knowing that we are with them and that we will remember them. So even though changing our profile pictures tragically could not save all the students...we were showing support. And I think the slogan fits with the other campaigns too.

So, can a few clicks or few buttons make our world a better place? I think YES!

I found this blog I mentioned with the poo emoji picture that wrote out exactly what I was thinking: 

"Yes, we desperately need activists and leaders who can set up these campaigns and grow them, who are willing to work tirelessly for the causes they believe in, who are passionate enough to dedicate their lives to something bigger than all of us. But guess what?

They need us too! They need our e-signatures, our Facebook shares, and text donations. They need our Tweets, our videos, and our phone calls."

Slacktivism at its best, it can deliver results far more quickly; forget the phone tree or your small-town gossip. After the Haiti earthquake in January, for instance, U.S. phone companies were receiving up to 10,000 “Haiti” texts per second. So far, those $10 pledges by text have amounted to $38 million for the American Red Cross alone. As a not-for-profit leader whose organization depends on donations, I say, “If that is slacktivism, I’ll have some of that.” The bottom line, really, is the bottom line. We shouldn’t judge any activism — online or off, old-fashioned or newfangled — by its medium or by how much it requires of us. Instead, it should be the results that matter (Fast Company, Slacktivism, Helping Humanity with the Click of a Mouse).