Activism in the Digital Age
What is online activism? Simply put, it is the act of pushing for social or political change, stemming from social media or digital platforms. Some of the biggest examples of online activism from the past decade include the ASL Ice Bucket Challenge (2014), Black Lives Matter (originated in 2013, heightened in 2020 & 2021), and Movember or ‘No Shave November” for mens’ health issues (e.g. prostate cancer). While online activism has been on the rise as the popularity and prevalence of social media have grown, I noted that online activism especially peaked due to the Covid-19. Social Distancing restrictions limited the ability for more traditional activism methods so social media became a more effective method for donations (e.g. GoFundMe or organizing drop-off sites), organizing Covid-safe protests, signing petitions (e.g. Change.org), and spreading awareness.
However, not all actions on social media correlate to online activism. Critics view “hashtag activism” actions as “useless outrage” or alternates for actual activism (Berlatsky, 2015). I somewhat agree with this statement. I think that hashtags and posts can play a huge role in starting movements, however, this does need to span beyond outrage. Specifically, there is a difference between just posting a hashtag (such as #blackouttuesday in June 2020) or tweeting “this is unfair”. When there are actions stemming beyond just a hashtag, that is when I define it as moving past the “vanity activism” that critics are referring to. For example, one could follow posting a hashtag with donations, signing petitions, posting resources and links on social media, and participating in a peaceful protest/gathering.
Overall, it is important to note that social media is still a very important component of activism, it just needs to span beyond outrage. In the article Hashtag Activism Isn’t A Cop-Out, they address how social media allows the people to become the leaders and starters of social movements. DeRay Mckesson (one of the leading organizers of the Ferguson Movement and police brutality) says in regards to the black lives movement now that “there was no Martin, there was no Malcolm, there was no NAACP, it wasn’t the Urban League. People came together who didn’t necessarily know each other, but knew what they were experiencing was wrong” (Berlatsky, 2015). It seems the new form of activism has paved the way for change without necessarily needing leaders. We all have the potential to make a change and be our own leaders with online activism.
The following video is a great example of online activism and how social media can be used to make a massive difference. For context purposes, this event happened in June 2020, during the wake of George Floyd’s death and one of the biggest nationwide movements in the 21st century. ABC News covered how a group of teens in Nashville, TN used Twitter to band together, gather donations, and assemble more than 800 people together to protest against racism.
