In the digital age, people no longer have to rely solely on word of mouth or the nightly news to hear about what’s going on in the world around them. Anybody with an Internet connection has a medium to express their most passionate beliefs however their heart desires. The issue this brings forth is one that has existed for ages. People are doing the absolute minimum and passing it off as activism, and this is a serious problem.
Armchair activism, or “slacktivism,” isn’t exactly exclusive to the internet, although the practice has become much more common in recent years as a result of social media. You may be asking yourself, “What exactly is armchair activism?” In short, armchair activism is doing the bare minimum to support a cause and acting like you’ve positively contributed to that cause.
Some examples of armchair activism are retweeting a tweet in support of a good cause, posting infographics on your Instagram story, or signing an Internet petition. People who engage in armchair activism are dubbed “interested bystanders,” meaning they show interest in a topic, but never really act on it. According to a Harvard affiliated study led by civic researcher Kate Krontiris, a shocking 48.9% of the U.S adult population is made up of these “interested bystanders.”
None of these things are inherently bad. The problem lies within the person behind the screen, and how their actions affect others. Sharing your personal beliefs is all well and good, but when you stop there, are you really contributing to the cause you’re championing? Chances are, probably not.
The bottom line is that people tend to think of activism as more of an afterthought. A quick post to your Instagram story and boom, problem solved. This creates a cycle of people reposting and sharing, which would be a good thing if every person who reposted their story made a donation to support whatever cause they’re fighting for or found another way to volunteer their time to support the cause. But with a rise of awareness often comes a lack of action. Awareness is awesome, and it’s definitely helpful, but action is even more important. It’s important to remember that even though you might feel like you’ve done a good deed by supporting a noble cause, you may be able to do even more.
We need to work against the mindset of doing the bare minimum, and in order to accomplish this goal, people need to pitch in and actually put some effort into fighting for what they believe in. Next time you post to your Instagram story, make a small donation to a cause you believe in. If you make an Instagram post, you even have the option to set up a fundraiser with your post which allows people who view it to make a donation. So next time you share your voice on the Internet, take action and make it count.
