When does it become slacktivism?

For some, it's the laziest form of activism, and for others, it's an efficient way to share the message.

An image demonstrating slacktivism [Image via Pinterest]

By Esihle Faltein

When thinking of activism, we relate it to mass demonstrations, vigils, and rallies. Over the years, social media has grown to facilitate online activism. Allowing people to share their experiences and thoughts on the current status quo, create a home for a supportive online community, and settle new shared realities with others. But do the efforts put in that lead to intentional change regarding the social issue?

For all we know we might be witnessing the rise of a completely different form of connective action? Both the online and offline spaces intertwine with one another. Online activism encourages offline protest through shared posts, advertising and then finally mass gatherings. This way of protest may see formal structures like trade unions replaced. This process can either encourage or mislead how activism may evolve online versus offline. Problems faced with this could lead to the matter being silenced or receiving minimal attention, and people self-censoring conversations that they would think to be irrelevant. Meta-analytic evidence suggests that the spiral of silence is equally strong online and offline.

As most parts of the world were on lockdown, we saw social and political movements turn to online activism - online activism dismissed as 'slacktivism'. It is supposedly effort-free, unproductive, and inhibiting more effortful effective offline protest. Slacktivism is token support given towards a cause. It's sharing posts on social media, without being willing to engage in a more meaningful and progressive way, rather than giving your time or money. Making it easy to fall part of slacktivism, as not much tangible action has is done.

Someone who "likes'', a cause on Instagram wouldn't be any more likely to donate in the future than one who had no exposure to the movement at all. Social media has convinced its users that, even if you are tapping the like button you are doing something great. I had to look closely at how I contribute and support online movements - "What is it that I do beyond sharing information and engaging others?"

Time and again, hashtags on social and political movements are created today and forgotten in the next week. When news on the exploitation in mines of The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) circulated on social media, not long after the hashtag #CongoIsBleeding was trending, social media was abuzz with the new release of the iPhone 12 Pro. Congo has the world's most prolific cobalt mines and produces half of the world's utilized cobalt. The metal used in making lithium-ion batteries and magnetic steels in phones, laptops and other devices. The same iPhone 12 Pro made from lithium-ion batteries, gained more attention than the movement fighting against it.

When online activism dismissed as the work of slacktivism, the subtlety and power of how news and beliefs travel through the modern digital ecosystem can be misinterpreted, overshadowed by insignificant ones, or even dis-information. From the online activism that has come out of this year, I would say that the underlying message brought forward is to move with intention, so much that it makes even the smallest of impacts.