Slacktivism vs. Activism
It can be tricky to be an activist. We all worry about how we can actually make a difference to the planet as just one person. Particularly in these times of face masks and social distancing when we are so restricted, it is often impossible to go on physical marches. That feeling of having gone out and done one’s bit to try to change the world for the better feels far-off. Tweeting and sharing online petitions, e-mails and hashtags (known in general as being a ‘slacktivist’) seem like a good alternative course of action, but often I have wondered how much they actually achieve. Is it even worth putting your name amongst the millions of others already out there? Even the name seems lazy somehow. Slacktivism is defined as ‘the practice of supporting a political or social cause by means such as social media or online petitions, characterised as involving very little commitment’.
However, there have been cases when online activism has given rise to a major shift in power, especially in the world of environmentalism. On all levels, from a global scale, to across the nation, to locally, it is possible to make an impact. For example, Plantlife led a campaign via e-mail to save wild flowers on roadside verges all over the United Kingdom in opposition to councils’ priority to mow down the beautiful natural world beside Britain’s roads that contains a multitude of life. Currently, the petition has over 100,000 signatures, and in October one roadside verge in North Wales received a new lease of life thanks to the huge public outcry. Another petition closer to home is a demand for Brighton and Hove council to improve public recycling services as well as introduce a new scheme to recycle a larger variety of plastic waste, which is just short of 5,000 supporters at the moment.
With nothing more than the click of a mouse, we can express concern over any issue, perhaps even sparking revolution through our tweets, hashtags and YouTube, just like with the recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations. Howard Zinn, a social activist who campaigned extensively for free speech, once said that: ‘Small acts, multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world’. It is argued that phones and tablets can be effective tools in bringing about drastic action because they allow us to spread knowledge, donate money and communicate our opinions. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram help people to voice their distaste and hold corporate brands and politicians accountable for their actions, and also act as the perfect way to mobilise and organise people. Along with fighting widespread disregard for the living environment, there are websites which provide critical resources for those who do care. An organisation called the Sussex Wildlife Trust lists a variety of wildlife rescue centres in the local area where you can take injured animals.
As people condemn man’s destructive effect on the planet, huge opposition has been directed towards authorities and multinational corporations around the world in the form of ‘clicktivism’, another term which uses social media to allow for showing support for a cause. Right now, there are countless important petitions available to support through websites such as the famous change.org, which empowers millions of users to ‘create the change they want to see’. In 2016, a 14 year old named Lucy Gavaghan petitioned for the massive supermarket chain Tesco to stop selling eggs from caged hens, a cruel farming method that made up nearly half of the eggs it sold annually. After collecting an impressive 280,000 signatures and a lot of press coverage, Tesco finally announced that it would phase out unsustainable sourcing and improve animal welfare by 2025.
However, there has been much criticism of slacktivism as it grows more popular. Many people argue that simply sitting behind a phone or tablet screen will not achieve anything in the real world. Taking direct actions such as confrontations on the street can raise more awareness, promoting the ideal of environmental reform to passers-by. Where slacktivism is focused on just one individual, activism itself often involves the feeling of collective action, particularly in a crowd. Together, you can work towards the greater good with bigger impact and higher visibility. Although it requires more effort compared to Internet movements, actual protests usually gain more attention and result in proper change. By putting issues in the public eye, pressure is piled upon those in power and big shifts in the societal status quo can be accomplished.
Of course, the Extinction Rebellion protests in 2019 must be mentioned as a public display of discontent for the lack of a climate emergency declaration. Organisers hoped a campaign of respectful disruption would signal to the government that the present course of action would ultimately lead to disaster. What they wanted was simple: for the government to halt biodiversity losses and cut greenhouse gases to net zero within six years. Over the course of 11 days, some of London’s busiest routes were brought to a standstill. Activists carried out a number of bold stunts so that their voices would be heard, including gluing themselves to a boat, chaining themselves to railings, staging mass symbolic ‘die-ins’, swarming London with an army of bike riders and hanging huge banners from the side of Tower Bridge. In response, through mounting pressure from XR, scores of councils and local authorities declared a climate emergency, acknowledging that this is the most alarming challenge facing humanity. According to The Guardian, Extinction Rebellion has already won the battle through transforming public debate.
Greta Thunberg, a sixteen year old Swedish environmentalist, influenced the global conversation on climate change massively when she skipped school one day to instead spend her time outside the Swedish Parliament holding up a sign. Since then, millions of students have taken to the streets to passionately protest for what they believe, for a future we can all enjoy. Her immense sphere of influence, due to the now international school strike movement (otherwise known as Fridays for Future), is undeniable. Thunberg has received strong support for her determined work, with politicians like Angela Merkel, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden expressing their support following her speeches. Merkel stated that young activists such as Thunberg had caused her government to act faster on global warming.
History has shown that it is crucial to stand up for what we believe, to challenge the tyrants, the monsters and the big, profit-driven corporations – to fight in the name of justice worldwide in whichever ways we can. When faced with enough volume, even governments will sit up and take notice. Whether it’s in the form of online petitions or outdoor protests, it is crucial that everyone spreads the word, this vital message that we will never give up on our planet despite others’ inaction. So it doesn’t matter how you decide to fight for change, be it digitally or physically, through sit-ins or sending a tweet, as long as you show your defiance and protest.
