14.2 Social media and digital activism

Social media has revolutionized how interest groups and social movements organize and advocate. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter enable rapid information sharing, supporter connections, and action coordination across geographical boundaries, empowering grassroots movements and marginalized groups.

Digital activism uses online petitions, hashtag campaigns, and virtual protests to mobilize supporters and pressure decision-makers. While it can raise awareness and shape public discourse, translating online engagement into concrete policy changes often requires sustained offline action and negotiation with power holders.

Social Media's Impact on Organizing

Connecting Supporters and Sharing Information

Top images from around the web for Connecting Supporters and Sharing Information

• 

  The Video4Change Grassroots Gathering has started - Video4Change View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Social media activism in Barcelona – a few questions | media/anthropology View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Video4Change Grassroots Gathering: Building the Capacity of Movements and Activists in Africa ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The Video4Change Grassroots Gathering has started - Video4Change View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Social media activism in Barcelona – a few questions | media/anthropology View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Connecting Supporters and Sharing Information

• 

  The Video4Change Grassroots Gathering has started - Video4Change View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Social media activism in Barcelona – a few questions | media/anthropology View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Video4Change Grassroots Gathering: Building the Capacity of Movements and Activists in Africa ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The Video4Change Grassroots Gathering has started - Video4Change View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Social media activism in Barcelona – a few questions | media/anthropology View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have become powerful tools for interest groups and social movements to connect with supporters, share information, and coordinate actions
• The networked structure of social media enables rapid dissemination of messages and calls to action across geographic boundaries, allowing movements to quickly scale up and reach a wider audience
• Digital platforms have lowered barriers to entry for organizing, enabling grassroots movements and marginalized groups to mobilize without significant financial resources or institutional support
• Social media can facilitate the formation of collective identity and solidarity among movement participants, even in the absence of face-to-face interaction

Challenges and Risks

• Social media algorithms can create echo chambers and filter bubbles, where users are primarily exposed to content that aligns with their existing beliefs and interests, potentially reinforcing polarization and limiting exposure to diverse perspectives
• Governments and opposition groups can also use social media for surveillance, counter-messaging, and repression of activists and movements
  • Authorities may monitor social media activity to identify and target activists or to gather intelligence about planned actions
  • Opposition groups can use social media to spread disinformation, discredit movements, or harass supporters
• The public nature of social media can leave activists vulnerable to doxxing, harassment, or offline threats

Digital Activism's Potential

Mobilizing Supporters and Influencing Decision-Makers

• Digital activism encompasses a range of tactics, including online petitions, email campaigns, hashtag activism, and virtual protests, aimed at pressuring decision-makers and effecting change
• Successful digital activism campaigns often combine online mobilization with offline actions, such as protests, boycotts, or direct engagement with decision-makers
  • The Occupy Wall Street movement used social media to coordinate protests and occupations in cities worldwide
  • The [Fight for 15](https://www.fiveableKeyTerm:Fight_for_15) campaign combined online organizing with strikes and demonstrations to push for higher minimum wages
• The effectiveness of digital activism in influencing decision-makers depends on factors such as the size and diversity of the mobilized base, the clarity and achievability of demands, and the receptiveness of the target

Limitations and Critiques

• The ease of participation in online activism, such as signing a petition or sharing a post, can lead to "slacktivism" or "clicktivism," where individuals engage in low-effort, low-risk actions that may have limited impact
  • Critics argue that these actions can create a false sense of accomplishment and detract from more substantive forms of engagement
• Digital activism can be particularly effective in raising awareness and shaping public discourse around an issue, which can indirectly influence decision-makers by shifting the political landscape
  • However, translating heightened awareness into concrete policy changes or institutional reforms often requires sustained pressure and negotiation

Online Tools for Awareness

Hashtag Campaigns and Viral Content

• Hashtag campaigns, such as #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and #ClimateStrike, can serve as powerful tools for raising awareness about social and political issues, as they enable users to easily find and engage with related content
  • The #MeToo movement sparked a global conversation about sexual harassment and assault, leading to increased accountability for perpetrators and support for survivors
• The viral nature of hashtags can lead to rapid diffusion of a message or campaign across social media platforms, potentially reaching a global audience and attracting mainstream media attention
• Viral content, such as videos, memes, or infographics, can be highly effective in capturing attention and evoking emotional responses, leading to increased awareness and engagement with an issue
  • The video of George Floyd's murder by police sparked widespread outrage and catalyzed the global Black Lives Matter protests in 2020

Online Petitions and Demonstrating Support

• Online petitions, hosted on platforms like Change.org or MoveOn.org, can demonstrate public support for a cause and put pressure on decision-makers to respond, particularly when they garner a large number of signatures
  • A petition on Change.org demanding justice for Breonna Taylor, a Black woman killed by police in her home, garnered over 11 million signatures
• The ephemeral nature of viral content and hashtag campaigns can lead to short-lived spikes in attention, making it challenging to sustain momentum and translate awareness into long-term change
  • Maintaining engagement often requires ongoing content creation, strategic messaging, and providing supporters with meaningful ways to stay involved

Engagement and Offline Action

Challenges in Maintaining Participation

• Online activism can face challenges in maintaining participant engagement over time, as the novelty of a campaign wears off and competing issues vie for attention
• "Hashtag fatigue" can occur when users become oversaturated with similar content or feel that their engagement is not leading to meaningful change, resulting in disengagement from the movement
• Translating online activism into offline action requires overcoming the "intention-behavior gap," where individuals who express support online may not follow through with real-world actions like attending protests or contacting representatives

Strategies for Sustained Impact

• Effective online-to-offline mobilization often involves providing clear, actionable guidance to participants, fostering a sense of community and accountability, and offering a range of engagement options to suit different levels of commitment
  • The Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate advocacy group, uses social media to recruit and train organizers, who then lead local chapters and participate in offline actions like sit-ins and voter outreach
• Offline actions can face logistical, legal, and safety challenges, particularly in contexts where activists face repression or violence from the state or counter-movements
  • Successful movements often employ a hybrid approach, using digital activism to build momentum and coordinate actions, while also investing in offline organizing and relationship-building to sustain long-term engagement and impact
• Building alliances with established organizations, labor unions, or community groups can provide movements with access to resources, expertise, and networks that can help sustain activism beyond initial online mobilization