INTRODUCTION

by Merlyna Lim

Is social media activism merely slacktivism? Are the millennials largely slacktivist? What do millennials think about social media activism?

Undoubtedly, social media has revolutionized communication between individuals, brand-consumer interactions, and the way people receive news and information. However, the impact of political actions taken on social media has been subject to scrutiny; giving birth to a contemporary term known as “slacktivism”.

A portmanteau of slacker and activism, slacktivism refers to online actions that express support for a political or social cause but require minimal time and effort.

Typically coming from older generations who’re pointing fingers at the Millennials, critics claim that social media activism is slacktivist in nature. Using easy online actions like changing a profile picture or retweeting as their examples, they argue that social media activism does not result in actual change and are mere illusions of effective activism. However, supporters of social media activism argue that its critics fail to recognize the intricate relationship between citizens, governments, and social media. They claim that critics view political participation through outdated lenses, rather than a new Millennial perspective.

Five authors of this special issue, who are all millennials themselves, attempt to shift from this ongoing polemics. Produced while taking the COMS4317 Digital Media and Global Network Society undergraduate seminar, articles in this issue offer nuanced perspectives on the complex relationship between activism, slacktivism, and the millennials.

In “Is slacktivism the new millennial of social movements?” Cassandra Bates reflectively discusses the relationship between millennials and today’s media environment. Bates states that while “may be critiqued for being the slacktivism for social movements”, the millennials “see and understand the potential for digital media and are trying to give digital media a higher purpose than just memes on the internet.”

In “Activism and Social Media – Are We Really Making a Change?“, Vanessa Stirling points out some inherent problems associated with social media activism while at the same time recognizing the value of participating in causes that one genuinely care.

In “More than a Hashtag: The #MeToo Movement is 10 years in the Making“, Sable Frey contextualizes the #MeToo movement within a longer history, arguing that “social media movements begin in offline spaces, in the everyday lives and experiences of human beings [and] are rooted in social and political activism, and the need to speak up for what is right.”

In “From Slacktivism Back to Activism: How Social Media is Making A Comeback“, Carley Hutchinson recognizes that “online activism does not replace physical protest in the real world” and yet contends that “social media activism is extremely powerful in sharing information on a global scale, organizing bodies, and inspiring conversations – all of which are essential steps in creating a social movement”.

In “Who Does Online Activism Actually Benefit? Hint: It’s You!“, Riley Cooper argues that the main factor that contributes to whether social media activism may lead to slacktivism is “YOU”, the user themselves. Cooper dares you to “ask yourself whether your tweet or status is going to actually affect the people involved, or if you’re really just doing it for your image.”

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by: Vanessa Stirling

It’s a Monday afternoon, you’re scrolling through your Facebook timeline trying to find that one cooking video to send to your friend. When a photo pops up of the damage the California wildfires caused. A well-known celebrity you follow urges you to like or share the photo in order to bring more awareness to the devastation caused. Without thinking you share to all of your friends and then continue on with your day.

And just like that, you have just participated in online slacktivism without even knowing it. What is online slacktivism you may ask?

Slacktivism can be defined as when people “” but “”. By just one click, you rationalized in your mind that you helped spread awareness and therefore did your part to help the cause.

This is a very common occurrence that happens every day, and I myself am guilty of it. When did one click of a button become a way to validate our emotions of guilt which rise every time we come across a cause? Social media arguably has become the fastest ways to spread news and raise awareness of a cause, but not necessarily bring action about. A single individual can simply make the choice to click one button and share with their 1.2 million followers on Instagram and suddenly by the end of the week everyone knows the kid yodeling in a Walmart.

Social media allows us to be lazy, it allows us to believe that by clicking one button and sharing a photo with our friends, we are enacting change and lets us off the imaginary hook of a guilty conscious.

Let’s take the now well known social media campaign that comes around every year, The campaign, which runs every year on January 30th, brings awareness to mental health issues. The problem I have with this particular campaign is that it’s all good and well on January 30th every year and my timeline blows up with support for those struggling with mental health but every other day mental health is still quite a taboo topic.

Therapy is still regarded as an activity for those with ‘serious issues’ as a friend kindly reminded me the other day, “well there must be something really wrong with you if you’re seeking out a stranger for help” when I briefly mentioned I had a therapy appointment later that day. This friend actively participates in #BellLet’sTalk every year, but still holds onto certain ideas of mental health. As you can see, people are quick to jump on the hypothetical bandwagon to support a cause when it is trending or in hot demand, but just as easily forget the issue is still very real when it is no longer at the top of their social newsfeed.

By simply sending out a text or a tweet, we can suddenly feel validated that we are good people and are indeed changing the world.

But not all hope is lost.

Social media does have its redeeming qualities.

The empowered women all around the world and created an environment where it was safe enough for them to share their stories of sexual assault and bring their assaulters up to face justice. This movement sparked social and political change, bringing about development in policies across the nation.

Social media is an immensely powerful tool, one that allows us to connect with millions worldwide and has the ability to create an environment willing to bring about change.

Now I’m not saying jump on board with every cause that comes across your newsfeed, this does nothing. Instead, I suggest actually looking into causes that genuinely interest you, create an environment that allows for the change you want to see.

Further reading:

Muslic, H. (2017, June 20). What is Slacktivism and is it Even Helping? Retrieved November 17, 2018, from

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by Sable Frey

Social media movements begin before the hashtag goes viral, and even before it’s typed. They begin in offline spaces, in the everyday lives and experiences of human beings. Social media movements are rooted in social and political activism, and the need to speak up for what is right. They offer a voice and platform for those who have been silenced.

More importantly, where do social media movements take us? A hashtag may trend globally, but its impact is not always lasting. One of the most common critiques of social media movements are their opportunities for “clicktivism” and “sąô˛šłŚ°ěłŮžąąšžą˛őłžâ€ amongst online audiences. While social media is a vital tool for triggering social movements, human users and offline spaces play an equally important role in creating activism. The most successful social media movements create a connection between online and offline spaces that allow the movement to become widespread and long-lasting.

The was one of the most prevalent social media movements of 2017 and has continued to impact both online and offline spaces for over a year. However, the movement began far before the hashtag started trending.

The was created in 2006 by social activist . Burke used the phrase “Me Too” to create a movement that fosters “empowerment through empathy” for survivors of sexual violence, especially young women of colour within underprivileged communities. While Burke developed and circulated the Me Too movement, it was not until 2017, over 10 years since the inception of the term “Me Too”, that the movement became a mainstream and global campaign against sexual abuse.

In October 2017, actress . She encouraged other survivors to share their stories. In response, the hashtag #MeToo was circulated on Twitter 1.7 million times in 85 countries. The hashtag also gained responses from dozens of female celebrities who echoed the message of “Me Too”.

While the Me Too movement captured extensive attention online and quickly became recognizable as the #MeToo movement within the digital realm, it also extended and propelled into offline spaces. The Me Too movement spurred campaigns against sexual violence in numerous spaces and industries including film, music, politics, education, sports, military, and medicine. Furthermore, legislative and legal actions have been made, such as the Me Too Congress Act, and court cases resulting in the conviction of rapist and sexual abusers, especially those who have held mass amounts of power in society. Most notorious is the conviction and charge of rapist and , a former film producer who was exposed and exiled from Hollywood throughout the rise of the Me Too moment in 2017.

The Me Too movement generated involvement and action from a range of people and social groups including celebrities, activists, sexual abuse survivors, and everyday citizens. The movement was mobilized through various spaces and platforms including social media, workplaces, red carpet events, and court rooms. Social media generated awareness for the movement, which eventually stimulated efforts against sexual violence to be actualized in physical spaces. Furthermore, the Me Too movement inspired the amongst female celebrities, and called for symbolic activities, such wearing black or white roses on the red carpet.

Social media movements don’t exist in an online vacuum. They are created, circulated, and actualized in both online and offline spaces.

Social media can circulate widespread communication that allows social movements to be publicized and performed in society. For the Me Too movement, social media was critical to empowering the voices of those that have been silenced and ignored in society. Social media gave survivors of sexual violence the power to share their stories and develop a recognizable movement against sexual abuse through the circulation of the hashtag #MeToo.

While the Me Too movement existed for ten years prior to Alyssa Milano’s #MeToo tweet in 2017, her social media post triggered the movement to spread across social media. Social media provided a pivotal platform for the Me Too movement to join mainstream media and public conversation, which ultimately lead to actions in physical spaces.

The Me Too movement continues to manifest and develop in online and offline spaces. The connectivity that this social movement has achieved has allowed the Me Too movement to have a vast impact on social understandings and perceptions of sexual violence and abuse. While the #MeToo hashtag was an important tool for mobilizing the movement online, it is important to acknowledge the work that Tarana Burke invested for 10 years prior. The Me Too movement existed before the hashtag, but it did not exist before Burke.

Social media movements do not begin with hashtags, they begin with people who want to speak up for what is right. The #MeToo movement began with Tarana Burke.

Further reading:

Buckley, C. (2018, January 1). Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harassment Action Plan. Retrieved from New York Times:

Davis, S. (2017, November 15). ‘Me Too’ Legislation Aims To Combat Sexual Harassment In Congress. Retrieved from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2017/11/15/564405871/me-too-legislation-aims-to-combat-sexual-harassment-in-congress

Me Too Movement. (2018). me too. Retrieved from Me Too Movement: https://metoomvmt.org/

Ohlheiser, A. (2017, October 19). The woman behind ‘Me Too’ knew the power of the phrase when she created it — 10 years ago. Retrieved from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/10/19/the-woman-behind-me-too-knew-the-power-of-the-phrase-when-she-created-it-10-years-ago/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.87679431adc8

Strum, L. (2017, October 25). Twitter chat: What #MeToo says about sexual abuse in society. Retrieved from PBS: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/twitter-chat-what-metoo-says-about-sexual-abuse-in-society

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by: Carley Hutchinson

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by: Riley Cooper

Do you ever randomly remember an embarrassing moment from your past and feel every fibre of your being cringe at the memory?

This is how I feel when I think about how my classmates and I reacted to the . To say I knew little on the subject would be giving myself too much credit. And yet, I never questioned why that was.

I was in junior high when t was released. It depicted a white man, based out of California, stating his and the Invisible Children’s plan to capture one of the most sought after guerrilla war leaders, Joseph Kony. Almost overnight, everyone at my school began talking about this video; possibly because of how unrealistic the entire idea seemed. I must have missed the memo because I had no idea what was going on. Still, when I heard my fellow classmates referring to the video and using the phrase “Kony 2012”, however, I pretended to understand so I could fit in. Since I was living at home, and had little access to technology, when I did get time on the computer, I used it for playing games or making comics. Finding out what Kony 2012 referred to wasn’t exactly at the top of my list.

However, one thing I did know was that the creator was trying to make a difference. This made me feel like when when my friends and I spoke about it, we were making difference; I was part of the solution. Realistically, I did absolutely nothing to help. This is how some types of online activism or works.

Slacktivism is the concept of expressing your support for a political or social cause while failing to offer any help that has tangible, positive results. For example, posting on Facebook that you claim to support the reduction of palm-oil use, but still buying products that you it.

Now, I’m certainly not saying online activism can never accomplish anything. It simply seems ironic to me when people post on their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts to show all their followers how wonderful they are, and to display everything they support, yet do nothing to endorse the cause otherwise. This also includes adding relevant hashtags to your post.

People are constantly posting online in support of different movements. Let’s take my friend for example; we’ll call him… George. George runs an overwhelmingly active twitter account. Nonetheless, I noticed that George tweeted in defence of Colin Kaepernick by using the hashtag: #takeaknee. Fast forward to now when George has not posted regarding race or police brutality in the United States since his use of the hashtag. He simply sticks to witty remarks about politicians. Offline, George has furthermore done little to advocate for the cause.

Say I didn’t personally know George, however. I would have seen that he tweeted his support for racial equality and the end of racial profiling in the United States and that would be the end. I would go on thinking that he stood for something great. But that’s not the case. I argue that using hashtags like these, or posting about the charitable work you are doing, benefits no one but yourself. It makes you look good, it makes you feel good, but it does not help those who are physically impacted by the root of the movement.

If you want to post your support for an organization or crusade for all your followers or friends to see, go ahead. But next time, ask yourself whether your tweet or status is going to actually affect the people involved, or if you’re really just doing it for your image.

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by: Cassandra Bates

Did we really think we could change the world with just one tweet? OF COURSE! We’re millennials.

“Millennials are ” – Baby Boomers.

Yes, millennials have their flaws associated with them, especially when it comes to taking action. But what generation doesn’t? Just like the millennials, the baby boomers have fallen scrutiny to their own form of judgement from older generations before them. The baby boomers had power in numbers and were , having just been born in a society post World War II.

This brand of rebellion was given to baby boomers as a result of them being major players and key demonstrations of during their time. In North America, they grew up during the rise of the Civil Rights Movement (racial equality), Antiwar demonstrations (against Vietnam), and the Equal Rights Amendment (women’s liberation).

Understanding what defined a certain representation of the Baby Boomers youth, we can sympathize with the frustration they have regarding the millennials efforts. In the baby boomer’s eyes, they have seen and made changes in the world that are the structures of which we as millennials live in today. Therefore, causing them to believe millennials seem to be slacking in the effort to sustain or better such world.

Even though this general baby boomer perspective on millennials can be sympathetic to their opinion. The question is now…is it right?

We live in a different world, where one is surrounded by constant digital media and communication. Therefore, to understand if slacktivism is the new millennial of social movements, compared to the baby boomer’s generation. We need to question the effectiveness of what is considered to be in the context of digital media.

It is difficult to distinctively say whether digital media is either solely a tool to empowered activism or a potential scapegoat for slacktivism. As different situations and circumstances require a certain level of community engagement based on the needs of the movement. Whether it be a public demonstration of resistance like the baby boomers, or making your more friends educated on the awareness of events through a Facebook post on their wall.

The basics are in today’s world that digital media has proven itself as a tool to create discussion forums on global concerns instantaneously. Promoting voices that are sometimes limited in reach because of geographical, educational, financial, and social limits (but not exclusively). Allowing digital technology to sometimes surpass those barriers. Whether this idea of digital activism can be solely effective or not in increasing participatory change, all has to do with the level of required actions needed to create big enough waves for a social movement.

Therefore, digital media can lend itself to be helpful when trying to promote activism on a scale that encourages community interaction. That being a strong method of propaganda for movements that are easily scalable. Creating a public sphere that shares and publicize opinions where a group of people can come together to support or dismiss topics within society. Asking for , and not necessarily the need for a physical social demonstration.

Therefore, where does line between digital activism end and slacktivism begin? is a form of mass mobilization or political action on media platforms. Whereas tends to be viewed as the means for social change through minimal effort through digital media.

Realistically though both types of media flows are constantly amplified through the introduction and engagement on media platforms from its participants. Specifically, relying on the popularity and audience viewership of media helping to push it to the forefront of the news. , it could have enough reach to spark change never imaginable or act as a pledge to an already existing growing movement. Digital media has the ability to push movements into the public’s eye that may not have been flagged otherwise, whether it’s supported by a mass demonstration by the public or not.

Therefore, within the realm of digital activism, it is difficult to claim that slacktivism does not have an impact, no matter how small. Within any movement, there are leaders and followers, even if they play a minimal role. Can we really claim that there can be a minimal level of action to be an activist for a cause? No, because every action is a key player in trying to push a movement forward with the support of the public behind it.

Although we critique the actions of ‘slacktivism’, we have to recognize that it is still a step forward for social movements. Proving an alternative flow of awareness through media can be effective an effective tool, just like millennial’s active place in society. Although we may never understand the life lived by older generations and their struggles, it does not devalue the alternative forms in which functions by. We may be critiqued for being the slacktivism for social movements and the new generation, but it does not mean that we’re entirely wrong. We see and understand the potential for digital media and are trying to give digital media a higher purpose than just memes on the internet.

….And let’s be candid baby boomers, .

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