Understanding Slacktivism

The influence of social media and technological developments has changed how groups and organizations advocating for social change generate awareness and participation in their causes (see Diani, 2000; Meyer & Workman Bray, 2013; Van de Donk, Loader, Nixon, & Rucht, 2004).

As Glenn C. L. (2015) stated, “slacktivism,” a combination of the words “slacker” and “activism,” has increasingly been used to describe the disconnect between awareness and action through the use of social media. This illustrates a departure from “traditional” conceptualizations of activism, such as during the 1960s, associated with interdependent groups mobilizing through tangible resources, including space, to organize protests, rallies, and boycotts.

Knibbs (2013) characterizes slacktivism as “feel-good back patting” through watching or “liking” commentary on social issues without any action. It requires minimal time and effort, often without mobilization and/or demonstrable effect in solving a social issue (Glenn C. L., 2015). While this term often carries a negative connotation, some see it positively, as it enables groups to broaden their reach across different geographic areas in a more cost-efficient and environmentally sustainable manner.

Slacktivism has been defined as, ‘a willingness to perform a relatively costless, token display of support for a social cause, with an accompanying lack of willingness to devote significant effort to enact meaningful change’ (Kristofferson et al., 2014, p. 1149). Lane, D. S., & Dal Cin, S. (2017) stated that when young people share a video from a cause they care about on their Facebook wall, they are engaging in both impression management and a complex performance of identity with perceived social consequences.

Lim, M. (2013) noted that social media activism is most effective when its narratives, symbols, and representations align with elements prevalent in contemporary popular culture. This means embracing the principles of modern consumer culture: appealing packaging, attention-grabbing headlines, and brief visuals. While online activism may garner numerous clicks, these often translate to minimal genuine engagement, highlighting that despite the high number of interactions, few causes generate widespread activism within the extensive realm of social media.

Social media activism represents a period of innovation and experimentation in the use of new media technologies and participatory culture (Lim, M., 2013). The intersection of online expression, popular culture, and social connections creates diverse spaces where millions gather. On platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (now X), users connect, organize, collaborate, and mobilize. However, as noted by Lim, M. (2013), social media does not effectively facilitate deliberative discourse on complex, difficult issues; it lacks the deliberation necessary for a deepening democracy. As noted elsewhere, “[r]ule-bound deliberation is slow and ponderous, emphasises the acquisition of knowledge and expertise, focuses on government laws and policies, and succeeds when citizens partners with government in the service of good decisions, political legitimacy and social stability” (Lim and Kann, 2008, p 100).

Are you a Slacktivist?

REFERENCES

Diani, M. (2000). Social movement networks virtual and real. Information, Communication & Society, 3, 386–401. https://doi.ord/10.1080/13691180051033333

Glenn, C. L. (2015). Activism or “Slacktivism?”: Digital Media and Organizing for Social Change. Communication Teacher, 29(2), 81–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/17404622.2014.1003310

Knibbs, K. (2013). Slactivists, unite! Social media campaigns aren’t just feel-good back patting. Digital Trends.

Lim, M., and M. Kann. (2008). “Networked Politics: Deliberation, Mobilization and Networked Practices of Agitation.” In Networked Publics, 77–107. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Lim, M. (2013). Many Clicks but Little Sticks: Social Media Activism in Indonesia. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 43(4), 636–657. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472336.2013.769386

Lane, D. S., & Dal Cin, S. (2017). Sharing beyond Slacktivism: the effect of socially observable prosocial media sharing on subsequent offline helping behavior. Information, Communication & Society, 21(11), 1523–1540. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1340496

Meyer, M., & Workman Bray, C. (2013). Emerging adult usage of social networks as sites of activism: A critical examination of the TOMS and TWLOHA movements. Ohio Communication Journal, 51, 53–77. Retrieved from http://ohiocomm.org/main/

Van de Donk, W., Loader, B. D., Nixon, P. G., & Rucht, D. (Eds.). (2004). Cyberprotest: New media, citizens and social movements. New York, NY: Routledge.