Did you see the KONY video rolling around Facebook a couple of weeks ago? What about texting for Japan or Haiti earthquake victims? Or how about that online petition you signed and forwarded to your entire email list?
If you are nodding your head slowly, then you, my friend, are a slacktivist. Slacktivism is the act of participating in a cause or campaign without getting involved. It generally requires you to share, like, tweet or pass something on via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Since it is the path of least resistance in showing support for a cause, people end up having a “feel good” vibe for participating. Charities and causes are keeping their fingers crossed that this potentially means greater engagement down the road.
Slactivism isn’t a new phenomenon but it sure has been making news lately. And why? It turns out that slactivists are having a far bigger impact on change than anyone knew. Here is a great infographic from Mashable via Sortable that shows the enormous impact slactivist are having on worldwide issues:
Sortable The Rise of the Slacktivist
Why does slactivism work? Well, it’s easy to get involved and doesn’t require you to actively do anything other than a few clicks. But clicks mean numbers and numbers in the online world mean influence.
So if you are a slactivist, raise your hand (I know I am)!. There’s no shame in it and guess what, you are making a difference. Keep it up!
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