Clicktivism refers to online activism through digital technologies like social media. It allows people to easily support causes from anywhere in the world with minimal time commitment by signing petitions, fundraising, or spreading awareness on social media. While clicktivism has increased participation in causes and social movements, some argue it creates more apathy than real engagement. However, others believe any activism online or offline contributes to change and clicktivism has helped raise money for important causes like ALS through viral campaigns on social media.

1. Clicktivism
Our New Way to Jumpstart Change
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The Benefits of

2. Clicktivism has brought positive aspects to modern day activism
as it links and unites global citizens to exercise their rights. It
supports subjectively worthwhile initiatives.
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3. Clicktivism is “the use of digital communication
technologies in support of worthy causes.”1
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4. The main objective of clicktivism is to harness
awareness about causes we’d usually know nothing
about.2
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5. It also has a remarkable ability to alert and
activate people around the world.3
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6. How is Clicktivism Beneficial?
It provides people who couldn’t put in the time and effort
to participate in initiatives, with minimum commitment.
It increases our knowledge of the world around us…
Knowledge is Power!
It allows initially small, yet important causes, to take off
and get the support they need, in order to solve their
problems.
Photo retrieved from Unsplash
Photo retrieved from Unsplash
Photo retrieved from PowerPoint

7. Offers nonviolent solutions when comparing with
public protests.14
Allows information to become widespread faster
enabling quicker responses to problems or
injustices.12
Helps us to become involved, well rounded global
citizens
.
Clicktivism Also…
Photo retrieved from Unsplash
Photo retrieved from Unsplash
Photo retrieved from Unsplash

8. As we learn more about causes that
resonate with us, we direct energy
toward them via clicktivism’s various
avenues:
² Signing petitions.
² Raising money through selling and advertising the
cause’s merchandise online.
² Contacting local MP’s or political activists to
protest certain issues.13
² Organizing and advertising physical protests.
² Uploading information pertaining to a specific
cause on social media.
Photo retrieved from Unsplash

9. The internet facilitates
resource availability and
opportunities for actions.
Both are needed for successful
social movements.4
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10. The internet is a medium that has allowedus to communicate throughout the world’scommunity. With it brings the power ofanonymous speech and protest which isblind to one’s identity.11
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11. This unique situation can produce confident individuals who now have
the freedom to state their opinions and support causes without shame.
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12. And in some cases this situation can
allow the everyday citizen, at any age, to
share their view and participate in
national decisions, furthering the idea of
a global community.
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13. The internet is also encouraging people who’ve never been politically active, or
civically engaged, to speak out and participate with different causes.4
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14. Clicktivism also
reduces the amount of
time between
understanding and
engagement.
This means that there
is less time for
“implicatory denial”,
which means to create
reasons to not respond
compassionately to
troublesome
information. 5
Photo retrieved from Unsplash
Photo retrieved from Unsplash

15. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
After the campaign went viral, over 800% more money for ALS
was raised compared to the previous year.2
Photo retrieved from Unsplash

16. Social media platforms have been used for
social good :6
² Organizing Community Activism
² Empowering Citizens
² Coordinating in Emergency Situations
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17. Currently social movements rely on social media
sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, as a means to
gain support.7 Photo retrieved from Unsplash

18. Smartphone users spend 85% of their time on
Facebook and Google.9
14 million Canadians log in to Facebook every
day8
&
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19. “Facebook had the greatest impact on fundraising
because people care about the causes that their
friends care about.”10
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20. With so many people accessing these websites and
their unlimited access to various platforms and
initiatives…
awareness and potential activism can be fostered for
various causes!
Photo retrieved from Unsplash

21. And any activism is activism, whether it’s
online or in person.
Photo retrieved from UnsplashPhoto retrieved from Unsplash

22. With clicktivism, we are not only exercising our
fundamental rights, we have the potential to work
towards solving global issues and therefore making the
world a better place. Photo retrieved from Unsplash

23. References:
1. Stern, Caryl M. "In Praise of Click8vism." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 31 Mar. 2015. Web. 01 June 2017.
<hJp://www.huffingtonpost.com/caryl-m-stern/in-praise-of-click8vism_b_6978314.html>.
2. Sharma, Ritu. "Stop Pouring Ice on Click8vism." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Aug. 2014. Web. 01 June
2017. <hJp://www.huffingtonpost.com/ritusharma/stop-pouring-ice-on-click_b_5692555.html>.
3. Regan, Ciara. "Debates, Mo8on: Social Media ‘click8vism’ Creates More Apathy than Empathy." Social Media 'click7vism'
Creates More Apathy than Empathy | DevelopmentEduca7on.ie. Developmenteduca8on.ie, 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 31 May 2017.
<hJp://www.developmenteduca8on.ie/debates/click8vism/>.
4. Butler, Mary. "Click8vism, Slack8vism, or 'Real' Ac8vism; Cultural Codes of American Ac8vism in the Internet Era." Thesis.
University of Colorado, 2011. UMI Number: 1493845. ProQuest LLC. Web. 31 May 2017.
<hJp://individual.utoronto.ca/chris8ne/sources/click8vism.pdf>.
5. Waldorf, Lars. "White Noise: Hearing the Disaster." Journal of Human Rights Prac7ce. Oxford University Press, 01 Nov. 2012.
Web. 31 May 2017. <hJps://academic.oup.com/jhrp/ar8cle/4/3/469/2189549/White-Noise-Hearing-the-Disaster>.
6.Bresciani, Sabrina, and Andreas Schmeil. "Social Media Plagorms for Social Good."2012 6th IEEE Interna7onal Conference on
Digital Ecosystems and Technologies (DEST) (2012): n. pag. IEEE Xplore Digital Library. Web. 31 May 2017.
<hJp://ieeexplore.ieee.org.proxy.queensu.ca/document/6227944/?arnumber=6227944>
7. Corrigall-Brown, Catherine. "Protes8ng More, But Alone." Click7vism. N.p., Nov. 2012. Web. 31 May 2017.
<hJp://irpp.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/11/click8vism-sec8on.pdf>

24. References Continued:
8. Matrix, Sidneyeve. "'Online Friendship' Lecture Module 2." 31 May 2017. Lecture.
<hJps://onq.queensu.ca/d2l/le/content/117252/viewContent/936374/View>
9. Matrix, Sidneyeve. "'Mobili8es.' Lecture Module 3." Web. 31 May 2017.
<hJps://onq.queensu.ca/d2l/le/content/117252/viewContent/937228/View>.
10. Matrix, Sidneyeve. "'Social Good' Lecture Module 4." Web. 31 May 2017.
<hJps://onq.queensu.ca/d2l/le/content/117252/viewContent/937354/View>.
11. Elicaño, AJ. "The Power of Click8vism." NOLISOLI. N.p., 02 Feb. 2017. Web. 31 May 2017.
<hJp://nolisoli.ph/4969/power-of-click8vism/>.
12. Tzouvara, Maria. "In the Age of Click8vism: The Use of Social Media in Facilita8ng Par8cipa8on and Social
Change." NEW MEDIA ACTIVISM. N.p., 29 Mar. 2016. Web. 31 May 2017.
<hJps://wpmu.mah.se/nmict161group2/2016/03/02/in-the-age-of-click8vism-the-use-of-social-media-in-facilita8ng-
par8cipa8on-and-social-change/>.
13. Cash, Jus8n. "The Power of E-Ac8vism." Rise of Clickocracy: Poli7cs for a Digital Age. Place of Publica8on Not
Iden8fied: Lulu Com, 2013. 85-86. Web.
<hJps://books.google.ca/books?id=nNHsBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA85&lpg=PA85&dq=click8vism
+pros&source=bl&ots=rFvTOiNW6o&sig=zqUmI0R9oQIY9sFzPmHcwqIbdos&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO-
um1r57UAhXpiFQKHRnDCAI4ChDoAQhTMAc#v=onepage&q=click8vism%20pros&f=false>.
14. "Click8vism – The Future of Poli8cal Ac8on?" Click7vism – The Future of Poli7cal Ac7on? |. N.p., 22 Mar. 2012. Web.
02 June 2017. <hJps://disciplineandanarchy.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/click8vism-the-future-of-poli8cal-ac8on/>.

25. All photos were retrieved from Unsplash, these
photos are licensed under Creative Commons Zero.
The Clipart was retrieved from PowerPoint.