Exploring social media as a powerful

tool for creating meaningful change

I m a g e : b r u c k e r r l b A F l i p b o o k b y M a r r y a m K h a n

So ca l led "s lackt i v i s t s " take easy , soc ia l act ions in suppor t of a cause–  

s i gn ing an on l ine pet i t ion , chang ing the i r profi le photo, l i k ing a Facebook Page . . . But that ’s pret ty much where the i r invo lvement ends , r i gh t ?

I m a g e : K r i s O l i n

Digital activism tends to get a bad rap,

                 

s lackt iv ists lack real commitment , care only about se l f -sat is fact ion and don’t contr ibute to socia l wel fare .

I m a g e :   D u s + n   P a l u c h  

So, why waste t ime with these l ightweight socia l act iv ists?

I m a g e : D i d o f fi c i e l

In fact, in many ways digital activism is doing a service for traditional activism by piquing the interest of those…

who might not otherwise have noticed a cause I m a g e : D o u g W h e l l e r

“c l ickt iv i sm places the i ssues of today slap bang in your face(book)  and makes them hard to ignore .”    

Image: Christophe Colletti & Jurgen Appelo Source: Cerian Jenkins, Huffington Post

How does raising awareness about a cause translate into tangible social benefits?  

Image:  woodleywonderworks  

Social media Activists are:      

2x as likely to volunteer

Image:  Scientology  Volunteer  Ministers  

4x  as  likely  to  encourage  others  to  sign  a  petition  or  contact  a  politician    

Image:  Alan  C.  

2x as likely to ask for donations  

Image:  Doug  Wheller  

2x as likely

to participate in an event

I m a g e :   C h e r i e   C u l l e n  

With a single comment or retweet from the right person, a message can be shared with a vast audience in a short period of time  

I m a g e :   B r i a n   S a w y e r  

In 2010, the Red Cross had ra ised $7million four days after the Hait i earthquake through text message donat ions

I m a g e :   L i s a   B r e w s t e r  

A cellular carrier spokesperson explained that the ease of using text messages to donate to charit ies has

“opened  up  a  whole  new  world  for  ”  

Image:  Jose  A.  Perez  Source:  Julliane  Pepitone,  CNN  

From the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street, information and communication technologies are not just mobilizing activism,

they are generating new forms of protest  

I m a g e :   K i r b y   U r n e r  

   

Dubbed as “freedom fighters” and “digital Robin Hoods” by supporters, Anonymous is a loosely associated network of “hacktivists”  

Image:  Steven  DePolo  

Love them, or hate them you certainly know about them.

I m a g e :   P i e r r e   ( R e n n e s )  

Coupled with offline action, digital activism can provide a channel for new voices to spread incredibly quickly - an outlet for those with no other way of making sure that their story gets told

Image:  fred_fred  

In today 's modern social media age , any i s sue advocacy or publ ic a f fa i r s campaign that re l ies so le ly on tr ad i t iona l media and pa id adver t i s ing wi l l s imply not succeed A

Image:  John  LeMasney  

Advocacy  groups  have  embraced  the  paradigm  shift  and  are  no  longer  sitting  on  the                                sidelines  of  social  media.    

Image:  Gordon  Robertson    

From the revolutionaries of the Arab Spring to non-profit organization and bloggers advocating online to political candidates on Twitter, many people hoping to change the world (or slightly improve it) are using digital activism to do so.

Image:  Abby  Lanes  

Data Sources

hSp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/cerian-­‐jenkins/click+vism-­‐a-­‐model-­‐for-­‐2_b_2210340.html      hSp://csic.georgetown.edu/370681.html    hSp://www.cc.gatech.edu/~yardi/pubs/Yardi_CHI11_SIG.pdf    hSp://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/ar+cle/together-­‐alone-­‐ac+vism-­‐and-­‐social-­‐media    hSp://mashable.com/2011/10/24/slac+vism-­‐cause-­‐engagement/    hSp://www.forbes.com/2010/07/15/social-­‐media-­‐social-­‐ac+vism-­‐facebook-­‐twiSer-­‐leadership-­‐ci+zenship-­‐burson.html    hSp://money.cnn.com/2010/01/14/technology/hai+_text_dona+on/index.htm?sec+on=money_latest    hSp://www.cnn.com/2012/01/12/tech/mobile/charity-­‐dona+ons-­‐text-­‐messages    hSp://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/03/15/f-­‐online-­‐protest.html    

Image Sources  

A l l ima ge s we r e ob t a i n ed w i t h a C r e a t i ve Commons 2 . 0 l i c e n s e f r om F l i c k r, F o toped i a a nd W i k imed i a Commons

Slide 1: bruckerrlb via Flickr Slide 2: Kris Olin via Flickr Slide 3: Dustin Paluch via Fotopedia Slide 4: Didofficiel via Wikimedia Commons Slide 5: Doug Wheller via Flickr Slide 6: Christophe Colletti & Jurgen Appelo via Flickr Slide 7: woodleywonderworks via Flickr Slide 8: Scientology Volunteer Ministers via Wikimedia Commons Slide 9: Alan C. via Flickr Slide 10: Doug Wheller via Flickr

Slide 11: Cherie Cullen via Wikimedia Commons Slide 12: Brian Sawyer via Flickr Slide 13: Lisa Brewster via Flickr Slide 14: Jose A. Perez via Flickr Slide 15: Kirby Urner via Flickr Slide 16: Steven DePolo via Flickr Slide 17: Pierre (Rennes) via Flickr Slide 18: fred_fred via Flickr Slide 19: John LeMasney via Flickr Slide 20: : Gordon Robertson via Flickr Slide 21: Abby Lanes via Flickr