Digital activism allows causes to connect with supporters through social media by raising awareness and coordinating efforts online. However, simply launching hashtags and online campaigns may not be enough, as engagement often falls away once hashtags stop trending. While digital tools can help spread messages quickly, tracking online metrics does not necessarily translate to real political engagement or lasting change. For digital activism to be effective, it must be coupled with real-world actions like protests, letters, and advocacy in order to create meaningful social change.

1. Digital Activism
Image courtesy of Steffen Geyer on Flickr
vs.
#slacktivism
by Christine Pepper

2. Social media is a
powerful tool
Icons courtesy of Pixabay
Oxfam icon courtesy of Mark Morgan on Flickr
(2)
to connect causes
with supporters.

3. Online platforms provide a means
to raise awareness, amplify messages, facilitate
community engagement and coordinate efforts
from the bottom up.Image courtesy of CG Dibujo on Flickr
(6)

4. Hashtag networks
can spread messages
and
promote causes
with unprecedented
speed.
Image courtesy of Chris Moore on Flickr

5. Marketing
tactics are
being adopted
by digital
activists
to spur
social activism. (4)
Image courtesy of Fabiola Lester on Flickr

6. Brand Activism?
But how effective is
Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

7. Can the mechanics of marketing
campaigns drive and sustain social
change movements?
Image courtesy of SEO on Flickr

8. Digital activism claims to have
transformed political protest and mobilized thousands of
new supporters to a diverse range of causes.
Image courtesy of Chris Brown on Flickr
(1)

9. But launching hashtags may
not be enough.
Organic and promoted
hashtags have a life span.
Once they stop trending,
engagement often
falls away too.
Image courtesy of Ken Barnum on Flickr
Image courtesy of Wheats on Flickr
(3)
(2)

10. A study of Twitter activity during the Occupy Wall Street movement
revealed that highly interconnected users were extremely vocal during
the initial months of the protest but within the 15-month study period
most had lost interest in Occupy-related communication.
Image courtesy of Michael Fleshman on Flickr
(5)

11. Tracking tweets, clicks,
open-rates, subscription
sign-ups and webpage visits
does not equate with political
engagement of any real and
lasting substance. (4)
Image courtesy of Charis Tsevis on Flickr

12. Political activism and social change
are not simply a click away.

13. "Clicktivists are being blamed for alienating a generation of
would-be activists with their ineffectual campaigns that
resemble marketing."
Image courtesy of Elijah van der Giessen on Flickr
(4)

14. Those who
"support"
causes by doing
very little and
achieving less
are known as
Slacktivists.
Image courtesy of akav via Visual Hunt / CC BY-NC-SA
(7)

15. The intention behind the global #bringbackourgirls
campaign was to exert pressure on the
Nigerian government to find the 276 girls abducted in
Chibok by Boko Haram in 2014.
Millions online posted the hashtag, but did the
campaign achieve anything?
More than two years later, the girls are still missing.
Image courtesy of Tim Green on Flickr
(8)

16. To have a tangible result, online activism has to be
coupled with real-world activism: letters to
government officials, advocacy meetings, public
demonstrations.
But how often does clicktivism translate to real
activism?
Image courtesy of Ryan on Flickr
(8)

17. In 2014, Cone Communications, a US public relations company,
conducted a survey of 1,200 Americans to study digital activism.
The results looked promising: of those surveyed
responded that once they’d “liked” or followed an organization
or cause on social media, they would be more likely to support in
other ways such as volunteering or donating.
64%
Image courtesy of leandro agrò
(8)

18. But are digital activists putting their
money where their mouse is?
Image courtesy of Pixabay
(8)

19. Of those surveyed, said they used digital media to
learn about changes they could make in their lives to create
positive social or environmental change,
but only 25 per cent followed through.
70%
Image courtesy of m.a.r.c. via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA
(8)

20. However, the "Ice bucket challenge " that went viral in the summer of
2014 tells a different story.
Videos uploaded and shared on social media
raised awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),
also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
A whopping $15.6 million was donated
to the ALS Association between July 29 to August 18.
Image courtesy of Global Panorama on Flickr
(9)

21. Social media when harnessed as a tool for political activism can:
i) empower citizens,
ii) engage and build community,
iii) coordinate efforts, and
iv) transform social campaigns into global movements
with millions of followers.
When coupled with real-world activism such as:
i) demonstrations,
ii) protests,
iii) letter-writing campaigns,
iv) consumer politics, and
v) advocacy networks
we can work together for meaningful social change.
(6)
(10)

22. References
1) "Beyond Hashtags: How A New Wave Of Digital Activists Is Changing Society". The
Conversation. N.p., 2017. Web. 3 June 2017.
2) Kielburger, Marc. "Global Voices: 'Liking' Must Be Followed Up With Real-World Action".
Times Colonist. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 June 2017.
3) "Do Twitter Hashtags Expire?". Smallbusiness.chron.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 2 June 2017.
4) White, Micah. "Clicktivism Is Ruining Leftist Activism | Micah White". the Guardian. N.p.,
2017. Web. 2 June 2017.
5) Conover, Michael D. et al. "The Digital Evolution Of Occupy Wall Street". PLoS ONE 8.5
(2013): e64679. Web.
6) Bresciani, Sabrina, and Andreas Schmeil. "Social Media Platforms For Social Good". 2012
6Th IEEE International Conference On Digital Ecosystems And Technologies (DEST). IEEE,
2012. 1-6. Web. 3 June 2017.
7) "Challenging “Slacktivism”: Activism On Social Media Is Not Enough". HuffPost. N.p., 2017.
Web. 4 June 2017.
8) Kielburger, Marc. "Global Voices: 'Liking' Must Be Followed Up With Real-World Action".
Times Colonist. N.p., 2017. Web. 4 June 2017.
9) "Stop Pouring Ice On Clicktivism". HuffPost. N.p., 2017. Web. 4 June 2017.
10) Norris, Pippa. "Political Activism: New Challenges, New Opportunities". N.p., 2017. Web.
4 June 2017.