Let's Talk About "Slacktivism"
"Your political contributions to the internet are worthless - go out and do real activism" is a sentiment I see online much more than I'd like to. It never fails to frustrate me, especially when I see it coming from people who are all about social equality.
While I can only assume it's targeted at abled people or anyone with the time and resources to get involved with grassroots organisations, volunteer in their local community, and join in with rallies and marches, it stings every time I see it. As a disabled person who can barely make it out of the house for appointments, online engagement with political issues is pretty much all I have to offer.
I won't kid myself on that I think posting on social media counts as super important and vital activism, but I deeply resent the idea that my contributions are worthless or that I'm not doing enough. I'm doing as much as I can. There've been days where I've dedicated significant portions of my energy to writing and re-writing blog posts, Facebook posts, and Twitter threads in the hopes that they may encourage someone to consider a different perspective.
I've had conversations where people with opposing views have actually listened to what I had to say - and I've learned a lot from listening to people with different views than mine. If it weren't for other people "wasting their time" online, I'd have missed out on a lot of chances to educate myself on news stories that major news outlets weren't covering, and to hear people's personal stories relating to political issues.
There are obviously many caveats to spending too much time online, but I think that the internet can be a great tool to aid social reform. It allows messages to spread faster and further than they would have otherwise - and while this can be used in both positive and negative ways, its potential for good is undeniable.
I also believe firmly that whether or not someone’s activism is “good enough” is entirely the wrong question to be asking. We should be asking whether or not they’re making a real effort. I understand that, as a society, we have a serious problem when it comes to accountability; but I don’t believe the answer is to belittle people whose best efforts don’t look like much from the outside. We need to offer people whose options are limited real, tangible and practical ways to help change the world for the better, and we need to make sure there's a place for everyone in social equality movements.
Of course I'm not naive enough to think that all the world's problems can be solved from behind a phone screen, but I think we're foolish to ignore the value of digital technology and alienate people whose only possible contributions take place digitally.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether my online contributions are worth anything or not, because they’re all I have to offer. If my best isn’t good enough, then that’s too bad - there’s nothing I can do about it. But I won't stop reaching out via the internet and using my voice in any way I can, and I encourage all of you to use your voice every opportunity you get.
While I can only assume it's targeted at abled people or anyone with the time and resources to get involved with grassroots organisations, volunteer in their local community, and join in with rallies and marches, it stings every time I see it. As a disabled person who can barely make it out of the house for appointments, online engagement with political issues is pretty much all I have to offer.
I won't kid myself on that I think posting on social media counts as super important and vital activism, but I deeply resent the idea that my contributions are worthless or that I'm not doing enough. I'm doing as much as I can. There've been days where I've dedicated significant portions of my energy to writing and re-writing blog posts, Facebook posts, and Twitter threads in the hopes that they may encourage someone to consider a different perspective.
I've had conversations where people with opposing views have actually listened to what I had to say - and I've learned a lot from listening to people with different views than mine. If it weren't for other people "wasting their time" online, I'd have missed out on a lot of chances to educate myself on news stories that major news outlets weren't covering, and to hear people's personal stories relating to political issues.
There are obviously many caveats to spending too much time online, but I think that the internet can be a great tool to aid social reform. It allows messages to spread faster and further than they would have otherwise - and while this can be used in both positive and negative ways, its potential for good is undeniable.
I also believe firmly that whether or not someone’s activism is “good enough” is entirely the wrong question to be asking. We should be asking whether or not they’re making a real effort. I understand that, as a society, we have a serious problem when it comes to accountability; but I don’t believe the answer is to belittle people whose best efforts don’t look like much from the outside. We need to offer people whose options are limited real, tangible and practical ways to help change the world for the better, and we need to make sure there's a place for everyone in social equality movements.
Of course I'm not naive enough to think that all the world's problems can be solved from behind a phone screen, but I think we're foolish to ignore the value of digital technology and alienate people whose only possible contributions take place digitally.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether my online contributions are worth anything or not, because they’re all I have to offer. If my best isn’t good enough, then that’s too bad - there’s nothing I can do about it. But I won't stop reaching out via the internet and using my voice in any way I can, and I encourage all of you to use your voice every opportunity you get.
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