Slacktivism and Politics in the Age of the Platform

Where Social Media and Social Justice Collide

Corrugated boards with politically motivated motifs and narratives scrawled over held up relentlessly by tired, burning arms, concerted bellows reverberating in the air, pleading for the public and the media’s sympathy for the cause being promoted. These are the sights and sounds of a traditional protest, and the image that is usually painted in the depths of one’s mind when the word ‘activism’ is heard. 

However, as our society becomes more and more immersed in the world of social media, starkly contrasting scenes of activism are beginning to emerge. Double-tapping, clicking on paper plane-resembling icons, and typing insipid emoticons into a comment section have morphed into actions that have the potential to further a political or socio-economical cause when done with posts that propagate notions that support said causes. This has started a new wave of activism, known as ‘slacktivism’, also known as ‘clicktivism’ or ‘arm-chair activism’. 

Evidently, slacktivism is less conspicuous and considerably more ‘tame’ than old-school activism, thus engendering the prolific use of the disparaging term, slacktivism, to refer to acts of online activism and political action, which include, but are not limited to, signing internet petitions, sharing informative media on social media platforms and specific hashtags associated with the cause. Critics of slacktivism perceive these actions to be indolent and performative, lacking in tangible and effective initiatives to further the causes being championed. On the flip side, proponents of slacktivism like myself not only dissuade the use of the aforementioned term due to its derogatory connotations and prefer the terms ‘microactivism’ or ‘online activism’, but also present several arguments for the principles of slacktivism, and its place in the realm of modern activism.

Principle 1: Engagement 

Firstly, social media is (arguably) an asset that can be accessed just at the tip of one’s fingers if internet connection and a device is available. Hundreds, if not thousands, of social media content, disseminating the concepts of political, social, economic, or cultural causes, circulate around social media platforms daily, swirling around in the algorithm. 

When content about a cause lands on a politically inactive person’s feed, a chain of reactions could be set off: the harrowing images and haunting rhetoric that online activists display in their content in an attempt to gain the sympathy and attention of a casual social media scroller succeeds in its pursuit, gaining their ‘like’, subsequently soliciting an influx of such content to infiltrate that person’s feed. As the person is exposed to progressively higher amounts of such content, they are likely to become more immersed in the cause, pushing them to also read up on it to become better informed. Their investment in the cause could also steer them to repost said content, or even craft such content themselves, sparking an interest and passion for the cause in others around them. 

This shapes social media and slacktivism to be a gateway for the politically inactive to ramp up their political activity, which could also be their entry point into other forms of activism, such as demonstrations, marches, et cetera.

Principle 2: Accessibility

Secondly, social media is a platform that users can access at the tip of their fingers on their mobile devices, in the comfort of their own homes and anywhere they go, allowing them to engage in slacktivism at any given time and place with an internet connection. This allows slacktivists to engage in activism without disrupting their daily rhythm, allowing activism to permeate through one’s daily life substantially and increasing the frequency of activist efforts one can make. 

Additionally, it allows for people who are unable to disseminate and champion their cause through traditional, in-person means, such as marches, public assemblies or demonstrations. This includes but is not limited to people with disabilities, more specifically wheelchair users. Such activities often introduce social, physical and environmental accessibility barriers, inhibiting said demographics to participate in them. Slacktivism is therefore an approach for people with disabilities to still be highly proactive in activism. 

The catch?

However, there is an undeniable and significant risk that the proliferation of slacktivism poses: the exacerbation of rampant misinformation that haunts social media.

While truthful, earnest advocates enlighten social media users of their cause, misinforming, malevolent falsehood-perpetuating entities could exploit the heightened capacity for sympathy and credulity in social media users.

Thus, it is paramount for those who engage in slacktivism to always fact check, and use multiple sources (i.e. articles of multiple news agencies) to ensure the credibility of what is shared on social media. 

Though there are a plethora of principles that are at the heart of slacktivism, ngagement and amplification are the core two. Censures of slacktivism question its efficacy and the seemingly infinitesimal commitment it takes, but it is imperative to consider the wide expanse of an audience that social media, and subsequently, online advocacy media, can reach. This enables activism to mutate from endeavors that only the heavily passionate participate in, into a series of efforts that the average social media user can engage in. 

Social media’s presence infiltrates the lives of many, so it’s high time for society to shift our perspective - the platform is the place for politics. 

Bibliography

1. Li, H., Bora, D., Salvi, S., & Brady, E. (n.d.). Slacktivists or Activists?: Identity Work in the Virtual Disability March. Scholarworks IUPUI. https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/c79615fe-f969-4307-9da1-3602479091c8/content 

2. Lodewijckx, I. (2020, July 1). “slacktivism”: Legitimate action or just lazy liking? CitizenLab’s Blog. https://www.citizenlab.co/blog/civic-engagement/slacktivism/ 
Soken-Huberty, E. (2023, September 10). 13 types of activism. Human Rights Careers. https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/types-of-activism/