Clicktivism definition
Clicktivism is using social media and the internet in general to advocate for social causes. Clicktivism is part of slacktivism (supporting a cause with very little effort). It’s based on the idea that using social media is the easiest way to show support, needing only a click to retweet a statement, leave a like, or share a video. Clicktivism makes it easy to spread a message but does little to initiate and implement changes.
Clicktivism examples
- Changing your social media bio to include a supportive hashtag.
- Signing a petition.
- Using frames to change your public profile picture.
- Liking and sharing posts.
- Signing up for a newsletter.
Criticism
The widespread practice of clicktivism pushes the actual messages and aims of social movements into the background. Organizations pay more attention to how much people saw or clicked on their message than the actual impact the message had on the social cause they are advocating. This involves using popular marketing techniques like A/B testing, creating viral content, and gathering users’ data to target them better. This way, supporting a cause requires less and less action, to the point where following a hashtag on Twitter is enough, as opposed to actively going out and getting work done.
