Digital Leadership & Online Activism
Online activism is the use of the internet and digital devices to bring awareness and/or change to social, political, etc. issues. Social media has especially been a tool where digital activism has taken place. It seems that many celebrities, politicians, organizations, and even members of local communities have turned to social media to voice their opinions and spread awareness about topics. Because of this, truly anyone can be a digital leader. No matter how large one’s following is, there will always be someone learning from the resources that are posted. I have personally experienced this. I find that I am constantly learning from the resources that my friends are posting on Twitter, their Instagram stories, etc., even though they many not have thousands of followers.
The argument of whether online activism is true real-life activism is questionable. “Slacktivism”, a newer concept that has engendered from the rise of online activism, poses the idea that supporting social/political causes through online petitions or social media does not actually lead to change. It can be seen as “…ineffective or lazy, especially when compared to the efforts of activists in decades past” (Pinon, 2019). Individuals may feel like they are partaking in a cause by using hashtags or reposting content, however does that make them a true activist?
On one end, individuals are being online activists by spreading their knowledge about an issue to others. On the other end, though, just spreading the word does not necessarily mean that it will lead to change. I think online activism is a great way to get individuals talking, especially since politicians are much more active on social media and can see the opinions of certain groups. Yet, I think it takes much more active, in-person work to make differences happen.
One case study where I do think that online activism did pay off was with one of my peers. This individual used social media to broadcast information about the BLM movement and even led a protest. She used her Instagram and Facebook accounts to share why, when, and where the protest was going to be happening. I think that this is a good example of online activism because she first used her online platform to inform her followers about the movement, and then she decided to take action in-person, still using social media as a mode for communication.
