Online “Slacktivism:” The Good and the Bad

How digital activism can raise awareness, but often fall short of making real change.

As the world becomes increasingly digitized, social media has revolutionized how we engage with important causes and movements. Now just a few taps on a screen is all that is required to take a political stance. Digital activism means anyone with an internet connection can now participate in advocacy work, regardless of physical location. But the convenience of online activism, or “slacktivism” as some have deemed it, has prompted questioning of its ability to create impactful change compared to traditional, in-person organizing. 

Slacktivism in a Nutshell

The term “slacktivism” describes activism that takes place online and on social media, including online petitions, sharing infographics and the use of viral hashtags and challenges. Slacktivism, the combination of the words “activism and “slacker,” is characterized by the act of low effort or commitment to a cause. Anyone can send a tweet, repost a hashtag, or change their profile picture to raise awareness. Given their simplicity, how much potential do these methods have to make a difference?

Online Activism, the Good and Bad

There are a number of pros and cons to online activism. Outlined below are some of the main advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

• Awareness: Viral media-fueled trends and problems can bring attention to problems that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

• Accessibility: Since everyone with a phone can engage, activism is now more accessible than ever.

• Influence: Individuals can be inspired to perform real-world acts such as donating and attending protests with the help of social media.

Disadvantages:

• Shallow Engagement: While slacktivism may influence people to participate in a cause, it usually only leads to a superficial level of involvement. While sharing or commenting on a post can give people a sense of accomplishment, it usually does not make an effective impact on the cause. 

• Misinformation: Viral trends can be harmful as they can spread false information, or even draw attention away from the primary issue.

• Burnout: As individuals fight to gain the attention of the public, online discourse can easily become overwhelming to the point that people stop caring. 

The Role of Social Media Influencers in Online Activism:

Social media influencers are now significant participants in online activism. With millions of followers on their profiles, these online personalities are wildly successful at spreading awareness of social issues to their audiences. Huge platforms of thousands to millions of followers, allow content creators to quickly and widely spread information, making them valuable figures in modern activism. However, the effectiveness of an influencer’s impact depends on the level of true commitment they have to the cause versus performativity.

A major influencer who campaigned for change was the Nigerian-American beauty YouTuber, Jackie Aina. AfroTech notes that she called out big companies for their performative actions and petitioned for accountability from companies like Fashion Nova, forcing them to donate $1 million to the BLM Movement. Aina drove her followers to demand transparency from beauty companies before making any purchases, asking them to reveal the percentage of Black employees in executive positions. 

Fitness influencer Massy Arias also contributed meaningfully to Black Lives Matter by encouraging action such as making donations and engaging in protests, as well as by sharing educational materials. Influencers can use their platforms to promote stronger and impactful engagement, rather than merely superficial activism, by combining raising awareness with concrete actions.

TikTok’s Influence on Slacktivism

TikTok has developed into an influential platform for activism, allowing issues to gain global reach through viral videos. TikTok users are continuously creating content to raise awareness about important issues from climate change to mental health to cater to various audiences.

Critics note that the rapidity of these online movements usually results in poor involvement. Tamara Smith, writing for Stony Brook University, explains action might come across as “trendy” on social media rather than meaningful. She calls attention to instances where people take advantage of movements for their social clout, as opposed to genuinely wanting and creating change. 

Even though it may not result in overt physical harm, performative activism can dilute a movement’s message, shifting the focus away from real engagement.

Successes Stories and Failures of Online Activism 

One of the best methods to use slacktivism to raise awareness is through viral challenges on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. One of the most well-known examples is the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge. With over $115 million raised for ALS research through this campaign, it urged participants to splash themselves with cold water and nominate others to do the same. This viral challenge even attracted A-list celebrities to participate, furthering the reach and awareness of the cause. 

Another successful campaign was the #MeToo Movement in 2017. What started as a simple hashtag quickly became a global conversation on sexual assault and harassment. Activist Tarana Burke in 2006 originally founded the movement, but it gained worldwide attention when actress Alyssa Milano used the hashtag. “It was also a way to get the focus off these horrible men and to put the focus back on the victims and survivors,” said Milano before publicly posting the tweet to X. The campaign raised public awareness of gender-based violence and led to well-publicized court cases, as well as legislative changes. The mere act of using a hashtag may seem insignificant, but the discussions and actions that followed were remarkable.

Burke’s #MeToo campaign gained momentum as a powerful protest against sexual harassment and assault. People began discussing their stories and personal experiences, reinforcing how widespread these issues are. This return led to a reckoning: with several men, such as Harvey Weinstein, a film producer, as well as Lockhart Steele, an American blogger, who exploited their positions of power and faced criminal charges. As the campaign grew, this led to many losing their jobs and more facing accusations of sexual misconduct. As seen in the article, “#MeToo Brought Down 201 Powerful Men. Nearly Half of Their Replacements Are Women” by The New York Times, it perfectly highlights every powerful man brought down by #MeToo. As the conversation about sexual violence and consent continues, #MeToo continues to advocate for change and safer spaces for all.

However, not all campaigns are created equal. In 2012, the #Kony2012 Campaign was launched by Invisible Children to arrest Joseph Kony, a Ugandan militant and warlord who abducts children and enlists them into his militia, The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). A video posted by Invisible Children? gained over 100 million views within six days. However, the momentum of this campaign was short-lived. The campaign drew criticism for oversimplifying a complex geopolitical issue, and while awareness was initially increased, there was barely any significant change accomplished.

Some digital campaigns are even counterproductive. Blackout Tuesday, which took place in the summer of 2020, resulted in millions of supporters of the Black Lives Matter Movement posting black squares on Instagram and X with hashtags related to the movement. The original goal of being a day-long economic boycott became lost and critical information was censored, as the movement’s main hashtags were spammed with black squares. This led the actual effectiveness of the campaign to be questioned.

Initially created as an economic protest to encourage people to avoid spending money on big corporations and to assist Black-owned companies, Blackout Tuesday quickly grew into an internet phenomenon that overshadowed its original purpose. 

The Future of Online Activism

Slacktivism has proven to be a mildly successful tool for raising awareness for social concerns, despite certain critiques. Popular campaigns like the Ice Bucket Challenge and the #MeToo Movement demonstrate that effective online activism is possible. But for digital activism to truly make an impact, in addition to clicks and views it needs to motivate real-life action. As American sociologist, Zeynep Tufekci states, slacktivism, “can be a stepping stone, but it is not a substitute for real activism.”