My role in slacktivism

       Previously, civic engagement never played a integral role in my life. In actuality, until being granted the opportunity this semester to participate in this class, I remained ignorant on the very definition of civic engagement. While I have always participated in various volunteering opportunities, never could I fully grasp the concept that the aid I was providing to others could be considered civic engagement. Although throughout our class discussions, the discovery that civic engagement can be viewed from multiple perspectives was made apparent to me. Unfortunately I have come to the realization that perhaps I seemingly embody more of a sense of slacktivism, rather than one of true civic engagement. Perhaps there are more people like me, who hope to stray from the confines of simple slacktivism, and begin forming the mold to become a true activist. In order to fully comprehend the role slacktivism plays on activism, I'll attempt to analyze it's effects on not only the masses, but also myself.
There is a stark contrast between true activism and slacktivism. While slacktivism can be considered a form of some-what involvement, it lacks some of the principles of true activism. Slacktivism is a coined-named, which can be defined as supporting a cause without direct involvement. That is not to say that slacktivism cannot be utilized as an important tool for raising awareness. Slacktivism and social media can go hand-in-hand, in part due to the accessibility of social media, and it's ability to spread awareness rapidly and globally. Have you ever considered what you are contributing to by "liking" and "reblogging/retweeting" items on social media? Has one ever wondered how by completing a simple action such as clicking a mouse, one can contribute to a great cause? It may seem as if it is a meaningless action to many, but those people are blind to the contributions slacktivism can provide in this way.
Kony 2012 was a video which had the foundation to truly made a great change in the world. Although the organizations credibility was diminished with the accussations and controversy surrounding the filmmaker, the organizations efforts can be analyzed in order determine the importance slacktivism played in it's success. When first presented with the video, I was overcome with a sense of shock. This issue was one that was unknown to me before, and before going foward with any research on this organization, I gave them my approval. This occurred right away due to me viewing this organization seemed to me as if it was fighting a just cause, a point of view most people would agree with. Now that I reflect back I find it rather strange how easily I was able to throw my support for organizations I barely knew. In the same instance that I finished viewing the video, I quickly shared and reblogged the video to all my peers.
One distinct memory I have of the emergence of the Kony video, would be the overwhelming sense of activism I felt toward the cause. After the conclusion of the video, it was as if I felt as strongly as the filmmakers did about this particular cause. The strange situation occurred when I was consumed with a sense of activism, how I only supported the cause through slacktivism. I didn't donate to the cause, yet I still felt apart of it through simply sharing it's information with others. The debate occurs when this sense of "activism" comes into question. It's not as if I was trekking through Africa in an attempt to halt Joseph Kony myself, or as if I was even donating some of my own income to the cause. I simply felt the spirit of activism through the simple action of spreading awareness. Before our class discussion on slactivism, I just attributed that feeling to my own previous ignorance, but through this discussion I have come to the realization that perhaps my good intentions may have contributed after all. My actions, while not being a form of direct activism, had the intentions to transition from slacktivism to activism. In my own eyes, I view slacktivism as having the ability of being a confine, but also the intial step into activism. My actions did aid in raising awareness for the cause, even if by unconventional means.

"Raising awareness is a lazy objective. Awareness is a given, action is what you want to promote." -Christina LaFon

An inherent problem of society with slacitivism is the very lack of direct participation. Slacktivism, while not consisting of direct involvement, seeks to encourage "slacktivist" to engage in this direct participation. It seemingly takes the role of that first step people take on the road to true activism. The conflict of slacktivism being "not enough" or not a true form of "activism" still astounds me. Although slacktivism may not provide organizations with direct participation, it still provides a means of engagement. When true activist attack or view slacktivist as "lazy", I am astounded. I see this as if you are making fun of someone for volunteering in a soup kitchen because you've volunteered in an activity of higher esteem. Volunteering and activism come in various forms, to call one of those forms "lazy" is to attack the very ideals of civic engagement. Civic Engagement can be defined as active citizens participating in the life of a community, in order to further improve conditions for others, and help mold that community's future. Civic Engagement is the coming together of people who have a common goal, and all pursue to achieve that goal through various means. Instead of attacking those who participate in slacktivism by calling them lazy, perhaps we can encourage them in their efforts. Through this, there is the chance that they could transition from simply clicking a mouse, to participating in marches and volunteering
Here is an article I found to be quite profound and interesting, which delves into the various components of the utilization of slacktivism through social media sources such as Facebook. The article illuminates "the trap" people fall into when they allow their activism to be restricted by the confines of slacktivism.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3032824/6-reasons-why-were-slacktivists-the-psychology-of-liking-causes-on-facebook