Does social media help or hurt activism? Sep 30 David Leavitt Author Malcolm Gladwell made waves this week with a New Yorker essay called “Why the revolution will not be tweeted,” in which he makes the case that activism movements are effortless and perhaps even meaningless in the world of social media.
We’ve been debating Gladwell’s thesis in the office the last few days. Here is part of the discussion from Colin Moffett and Victoria Baxter. Colin: My biggest issue with Gladwell’s piece is that he assumes that somehow social media is something completely new. The technology also does not replace traditional advocacy and organizing. What do you think, Victoria? Victoria: My biggest issue was the suggestion that deep, committed high-risk advocacy is always the “better” advocacy. Advocacy – and I would also argue participation – is needed on lots of causes, especially those that happen half a world away, isn’t a situation experienced firsthand and don’t really lend themselves to high risk activism. Colin: I completely agree.
A. Is it Online Social Activism or Social Slacktivism? Social Media Activism: Not A Cause Worth Getting Behind. A spate of school sexual molestation cases in China have been uncovered recently by the media there.
Over a 20-day period, eight cases of schoolkids being sexually molested by faculty or government officials have been reported, bringing forward the very important issue of child abuse in the nation. Disgusted and outraged Chinese citizens started an online campaign condemning the assaults by adults who are in a position of trust or power. But some Chinese netizens have taken to their Weibo accounts to participate in a strange "social activism" against such crimes, telling principals and other would-be assaulters to “get a room with me, let go of your students!” And giving their contact information. Of course, these would-be activists don’t actually want to be contacted -- the campaign was designed to troll criminals via a kind of “pick on someone your own size” message. Four Ways Social Media Is Redefining Activism. Has Social Media Successfully Reinvented Social Activism?
How our activists view social media. Opposition politician Amr Badr from Egypt Modern communication strategy platforms such as twitter and facebook had a great influence on protest movements as they facilitated reaching a larger number of protesters and eased organizing protests in addition to media coverage.
However, it is hard to reach older demographics, the poor and illiterate people who cannot or do not have access to such communication platforms. Greek lawyer Lila Bellou Social media and the internet (blogs etc.) help the dissemination of information and contribute to the pluralism of ideas and opinions, which the traditional mass media (TV, newspapers) can’t offer. On the other hand, this abundance of information creates sometimes confusion to those, who don't have enough critical ability and face problems prioritizing important issues.
Ukrainian journalist Tetiana Chornovol Every medium is important for the development of a protest movement, and there is no doubt that twitter and facebook have a contributing role. Why Social Media Is Reinventing Activism. The argument that social media fosters feel-good clicking rather than actual change began long before Malcolm Gladwell brought it up in the New Yorker — long enough to generate its own derogatory term.
“Slacktivism,” as defined by Urban Dictionary, is “the act of participating in obviously pointless activities as an expedient alternative to actually expending effort to fix a problem.” If you only measure donations, social media is no champion. The national chapter of the Red Cross, for instance, has 208,500 “likes” on Facebook, more than 200,000 followers on Twitter, and a thriving blog. But according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, online donations accounted for just 3.6% of private donations made to the organization in 2009. But social good is a movement still in its infancy. Social Media Activism. The Costs and Risks of Social Activism: A Study of Sanctuary Movement Activism.
Gregory L.
Wiltfang⇓ Direct all communications to Dr. Gregory L. Wiltfang, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Box 25, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS 67208. This study challenges the frequent characterization of social movements as homogeneous webs of activity. Such a view distorts the activist experience and blinds scholars to the daily realities of activism. Copyright © 1991 The University of North Carolina Press. Business Horizons - Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. A College of Business & Public Affairs, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071, U.S.A.b College of Business Administration, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, U.S.A.
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