The time capsule is a collection of articles that were originally published at various times in the past, providing social commentary on a wide range of issues. The stories are prefaced by the author’s reflections drawing parallels to present day trends and developments.    

Author’s note: It is interesting to note that the rise of slacktivism hasn’t slowed down since this piece was published over seven years ago. On the contrary, the exponential growth of social media and its place in society has created an army of keyboard warriors many of whom wield their platforms as a tool to merely appear ‘woke’ by supporting whatever cause is trending.

As was true during the birth of the slacktivist phenomenon, the cynical byproducts of its practice are sometimes countered by the important benefit of bringing large scale awareness to issues that we should be educating ourselves about and acting on. Despite this, major historical events such as the BLM movement, have made it impossible not to notice the unfortunate trend particularly with large brands, who are using social media activism in a purely tokenistic manner while neglecting to make lasting systemic changes. 

I believe the thoughts I noted years ago still hold true today - supporting a worthy cause is undoubtedly a good first step that should be followed, or ideally preceded, by educating yourself about the issue.  

I’ve been thinking a lot about slacktivism lately. This phenomenon birthed through the social media explosion that has happened in the last few years basically means using minimal effort in support of an online political or social campaign. slacker + activism = slacktivism

I suppose the first major global example of this was the KONY 2012 viral video that took the world by storm, with both negative and positive ramifications for all involved. Since then there have been countless other online movements, the most recent of which is the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign aimed at pressuring the Nigerian government to act and return the over 200 schoolgirls that were recently kidnapped by Boko Haram.

It is clear that the global attention this campaign has generated has at a very minimum forced the people in power to finally begin acting (however ineffectively), to help those devastated families retrieve their loved ones from the clutches of evil. I myself have used my social media outlets to participate in this campaign by tweeting, retweeting, and posting on Facebook about this horrific story.

My participation in it didn’t stop there though. I began reading up on Boko Haram and the situation in Northern Nigeria, wanting to know more about the history behind this fanatic group and what motivates them. I read about the initial government response and the many twists and turns that have since unfolded, trying to understand all angles of the situation.

I think my main problem with slacktivists is that many of them lack that last step. There is nothing wrong with liking a post, sharing a picture, or retweeting a news story to show your support for an issue. But to leave it at that and continue about your day unfazed is to do yourself a disservice.

In a situation like this where my overall influence will realistically always be limited, the least I can do is educate myself on the issue I am throwing my support behind. Curiosity is the root of understanding, and I truly believe that with a little more of it we can equip and motivate ourselves to someday evolve from slacktivism to 100% activism.

The original post was published on christinekwrites.com .

SHOP THE CHANGEMAKER COLLECTION

CHANGEMAKERS | NEWSMAKERS | TRAVELERS | TRENDSETTERS | STORYTELLERS