Slacktivism

The like button used on Facebook, a popular slacktivist tool

Slacktivism (a blend of slacker and activism) is the practice of supporting a political or social cause by means such as social media or online petitions, characterized as involving very little effort or commitment.[1] Additional forms of slacktivism include engaging in online activities such as liking, sharing or tweeting about a cause on social media, signing an Internet petition,[2] copying and pasting a status or message in support of the cause, sharing specific hashtags associated with the cause, or altering one's profile photo or avatar on social network services to indicate solidarity.

Critics of slacktivism suggest that it fails to make a meaningful contribution to an overall cause because a low-stakes show of support, whether online or offline, is superficial, ineffective, draws off energy that might be used more constructively, and serves as a substitute for more substantive forms of activism rather than supplementing them, and might, in fact, be counter-productive.[3] As groups increasingly use social media to facilitate civic engagement and collective action,[4][5] proponents of slacktivism have pointed out that it can lead to engagement and help generate support for lesser-known causes.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ Cabrera, Nolan L. (2017). "Activism or Slacktivism? The Potential and Pitfalls of Social Media in Contemporary Student Activism". Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 10 (4): 400. doi:10.1037/dhe0000061. S2CID 151362391. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  2. ^ "Inboxer Rebellion Archives | Snopes.com". Snopes. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  3. ^ Carr, David (March 26, 2012). "Hashtag Activism, and Its Limits". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Obar, Jonathan; et al. (2012). "Advocacy 2.0: An Analysis of How Advocacy Groups in the United States Perceive and Use Social Media as Tools for Facilitating Civic Engagement and Collective Action". Journal of Information Policy. 2: 1–25. doi:10.5325/jinfopoli.2.2012.1. S2CID 246628982. SSRN 1956352.
  5. ^ Obar, Jonathan (2014). "Canadian Advocacy 2.0: A Study of Social Media Use by Social Movement Groups and Activists in Canada". Canadian Journal of Communication. doi:10.22230/cjc.2014v39n2a2678. SSRN 2254742.
  6. ^ "Why online Slacktivism might actually be helping charities". Digital Trends. May 16, 2013. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  7. ^ Davis, Jesse (October 27, 2011). "Cause Marketing: Moving Beyond Corporate Slacktivism". Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  8. ^ Richard Fisher (September 16, 2020). "The subtle ways that 'clicktivism' shapes the world". BBC. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2020.