It’s become the key word these days: one treated with derision and a patronizing air, oh those slacktivists, the ones who tweet #BringBackOurGirls and think that somehow they’ve saved a student all on their very own.
We see them as hypocrites: the people who are all talk and no substance.
However, for someone such as me, who has never gone myself to volunteer in a country in need or even participated in a march or protest in front of city hall, I don’t feel entitled to criticize slacktivists. After all, when facing an issue I feel very passionate about, I have no idea about where to start or what to do (well, actually, I suppose I usually write about it.) Trying to redistribute your government’s budget or change their international policy is a difficult thing after all. And so in this regard, slacktivism is an appropriate first step, an easy accessible way for people of all walks of life, regardless of whether they have the money to donate or time to volunteer, to express their opinion on a matter.
This sort of “activism” is surely better than nothing; consider the message lending your support at a rally makes, or even wearing a rainbow pin on your backpack. Slacktivism is the easier and quicker way of joining the chanting and sign waving.
Particularly the celebrity endorsement: seeing how many companies to have a well-known figure endorse their fry pans, what non-profit or activist group would complain about such an influential person spreading their message?
After all, the first step is always awareness. Until we know about an issue, how can anything be done? I think this brings up one of the first advantages of social media activism: amplifying minority concerns and voices may have not been heard in the mainstream.
Secondly, consider that for some issues, such as same-sex marriage equality, it may be simply social acceptance that is sought—and on social media sites, slacktivists maybe providing exactly that, by, in the masses, changing the world’s view of the social norm bit by bit.
The problem, I believe, arises when slacktivism is accepted as an alternative for activism. We can hardly expect anyone to speak up for all the issues in the world. But this doesn’t mean that we should be passive, or that we should be pacified by this small message of action, show of defiance. It is incomparable to those who try to take a stand.
The bottom line is this: just changing your profile picture or tweeting a hashtag does not make you a humanitarian, an advocate, or an activist. It does not entitle you to feel as though you have accomplished something, or that now you have done your part you can forget about an issue completely—which, may in fact be a consequence as explored by this study.
This is no substitute. Slacktivism is something else entirely it’s own. I think it is a fantastic thing to take part in, spreading a message and concern. And if that is all that you do, particularly if otherwise you would do nothing, well, that is fine as well. But just remember, this is all you’re doing.
It is simply a click of a mouse.
