ONLINE ACTIVISM

An introduction to Online Activism

 

We are living in an age where anybody with the right technology can broadcast their thoughts to millions of people at any given time. Thanks to the Internet we are more connected than ever before; a global community.

What does this mean for people wanting to make real social change? One may think it is easier now to gather activists and band together to create tangible offline change but this is not necessarily the case. The hashtag is a powerful tool for creating widespread awareness, but how effective is it in making a real difference? Can somebody sitting at home on their laptop retweeting to #bringbackourgirls call themselves a social activist when they’ve never put their energy into showing up at a rally? When they’ve never donated more than 5 minutes of their time, or their money to causes and charities that have been running for years?
Is indulging in slacktavism a bad thing? Can we use social media to change the world for the better?

 

We will explore these questions and more as we take you through a journey to understanding how online activism can indeed create offline change.