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Slacktivism: Real Impact or Lazy Liking

Jason Wetzler

I've always been a curious person and never been shy about asking questions. In elementary school, I remember holding hand in the air so long that I'd have to support it with my other hand to keep it up.


I rarely regret asking questions, but Tuesday, June 2, 2020, I found myself regretting having asked the question I did. According to Wikipedia, June 2, 2020 was #BlackoutTuesday, a collective action protest organized by the music industry in response to the killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.


At the time, all I knew is that people were posting black squares on their Instagram pages and I didn't know why. I asked my friend Tony, "Hey what's with all the black squares?" And he explained the movement. Then, I asked the question I regretted in that moment. "So, if this is for social and racial justice, what does posting a black square accomplish?"


Tony was mad. Not just mad, he was incensed. By asking a simple question, it seemed to Tony as if I was trying to erase all of the hurt he had experienced as a person of color and was demeaning what he saw as a way for him to contribute to a cause he cared about.


I hadn't intended any of that by my question, but the damage was already done. After a few minutes of tense conversation, Tony and gave each other a bro hug and went our separate ways.


I regretted asking the question in that moment because I didn't know how emotional the situation was for Tony, but as I look back, it's a valid question and it's one society is asking more and more frequently.


What does posting, liking, or sharing actually accomplish when it comes to making progress on issues?


This question, and others like it, is how the term Slacktivism came about. Slacktivism, or "Armchair Activism" can be defined as "the practice of supporting a political or social cause by means such as social media or online petitions, characterized as involving very little effort or commitment."


Before social media, committing to a cause meant donating time, money, or other resources to the cause. Now, we can get the satisfaction of believing we "helped" by liking, sharing, or posting on social media. When others online congratulate us for doing so, it further inflates our sense of accomplishment.


Interestingly enough, research suggests we are more likely to follow up on a cause if our initial support was private instead of public. When people acknowledge our post, we pat ourselves on the back and feel like we've already accomplished what we set out to do, without creating any real progress on the issue.


While social media is good for starting conversations and creating awareness, if we want to create real change we have to be careful not to fall victim to Slacktivism.


Creating a post takes five minutes, but creating change takes getting off the phone.


Fact

A survey that the Pew Research Center carried out found that 69 percent of Americans believe that online platforms are essential for successful social activism campaigns.


Action

Google "Slacktivism" pros and cons to develop your own opinion on the idea.


Question

Are you more of a slacktivist or activist?


Quote

"In part, slacktivism is what happens when the energy of otherwise dedicated activists is wasted on approaches that are less effective than the alternatives." - Evgeny Morozov

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