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Does the Internet Spur Social Change, Or Lazy Activism? (usc.edu)
An anonymous reader writes: If you participate in social media, you've probably noticed the flood of posts that happen any time a social issue becomes prominent in the news. Whether it's sharing a supportive picture, changing their profile, or signing a petition, users flock to these causes. But are they really doing anything useful? An article from USC Dornsife debates whether this form of "lazy activism" is actually effective in pushing social change. It's been long established that people are surrounded by a "filter bubble" online, where they're only exposed to viewpoints they already agree with. There's also the question of whether liking something on Facebook makes you less likely to contribute to a cause in more substantive ways.
On the other hand, this type of internet activism does do what social networks are designed for: building a community. Strangers with the same views can more easily organize into groups, and groups of a certain size are heard by lawmakers, regardless of their origin. Plus, engaging in small, low-risk activism does make people more likely to engage in further activism with more impact. The real question we need to answer is whether the smaller and more ephemeral groups are doing more good than harm. For now, it's clear that protesting face-to-face is far more effective than gathering in a chat room — but at the same time, hacktivism is growing in popularity as well. It may eventually have a similar effect to sit-ins and picket lines as our culture moves more and more online.
On the other hand, this type of internet activism does do what social networks are designed for: building a community. Strangers with the same views can more easily organize into groups, and groups of a certain size are heard by lawmakers, regardless of their origin. Plus, engaging in small, low-risk activism does make people more likely to engage in further activism with more impact. The real question we need to answer is whether the smaller and more ephemeral groups are doing more good than harm. For now, it's clear that protesting face-to-face is far more effective than gathering in a chat room — but at the same time, hacktivism is growing in popularity as well. It may eventually have a similar effect to sit-ins and picket lines as our culture moves more and more online.
That's all the internet really Spurs. Oh, and cat pictures.
"lazy activism" is a complement. There's an age old word to describe what happens in social media, it's "gossip".
Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
You expect me to do more then re-tweeting some #nonsense ?
But I really, really want everyone to know how much I care about things that don't affect my own life in any meaningful way!
All those movements for change in the middle east? Looks like they ended up making matters worse. Arab Spring turned out to be a disaster. Only self-styled "keyboard warriors" engage in slacktivism. 100 people protesting is far more effective and far more meaningful than 100x as many people "liking" something.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
Does the Internet Spur Social Change, Or Lazy Activism?
Lazy activism and much worse.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
It's kinda like a decentralized, private sit in. I suppose we could get people to do *by the book* work slowdowns.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
I think it's a logical fallacy to suggest there's only those two choices or that one one of them can be right. As for these two I have seen both happen.
Then you'll be sure to hear viewpoints that disagree with your own.
There sure do seem to be a lot of people zealously posting in favor of political stances that they can not possibly actually believe... ("press-release mode", often mixed with unexpected cursing and insults, and no editor or concern for quality)
The professional "activists" are the worst bunch. They manage "activism" as a business and do it for the business of it. They're everywhere and they're always ready to take over a cause. They do it for their clients.
Lazy activism? So much the better. Fuck the career activists.
We are on the same page here. I am tired of all of the "know it alls" on social media every time something happens in todays wold. They are all of the sudden experts!
I have been working on some software to filter all of this out on my xpenology NAS http://xpenology.org/
For now, it's clear that protesting face-to-face is far more effective than gathering in a chat room
This quote from TFA says it all: what happens on the Internet is of little relative value compared to what actual people do in the Real World, because there is little to no risk involved in anything you do on the Internet,and if you protest in the Real World? You may get arrested, or even killed, depending on where in the world you are. Words on a screen don't mean a whole hell of a lot compared to actual physical action because words on a screen can be easily ignored. Oppressive governments are not overthrown with posts on an Internet forum, and no real social change occurs because 100,000 people signed an online petition, not unless the powers-that-be receiving said petition are holding themselves to a set of rules that means they're willing to take said petition seriously. The Internet gives you the illusion of making a difference; if you want to make a real difference, you have to do something in the real world; ISIS may use the Internet to radicalize people who are susceptible to being radicalized, for instance, but the rest of the world isn't going to defeat ISIS by posting in online forums or signing online petitions. That all being said: Does getting people 'talking' have any value at all? Yes, it does. But if posting on the Internet is all you ever do, and you never get out of your chair, go outside, and actually do something? Then you're just kidding yourself. The Internet is now what people sitting in a living room discussing things over drinks used to be; it's all fine-and-dandy to talk over a glass of wine about how you think the human rights abuses in some far-off country is terrible and what you think should be done about it, and a far, far different thing to actually get out of bed the next morning and go do something about it. Most people won't, they're satisfied with the illusion that signing some online petition or voicing their opinion on Reddit 'made a difference'.
Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
Wait..you mean propagating #hashtags don't really change anything? OMG, mind blown!
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
Show me one time the screaming on Twitter and Tumblr did any concrete good.
People claim to be for change even without specifying what that change is. It allows them to avoid scrutiny since their beliefs may make no sense at all. The recent campus protests are an example of this. They're attending some of the most prestigious institutions in the country, and they think they're being discriminated against? The truth is, most of them picked the wrong major, choosing to major in politicized ethnic studies majors. Their demands include increasing funding for these programs and requiring other majors be "educated" in these subjects. Such indoctrination has no place in an institution of learning.
It's been long established that people are surrounded by a "filter bubble" online, where they're only exposed to viewpoints they already agree with
That's why on Slashdot sometimes I friend people I disagree with, if they are able to make a well-reasoned argument (even if I disagree with that argument).
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
The internet is a container for any kind of content. It can hold anything. Saying that people using it can be lazy means nothing.
It's like the whole argument about games and art. Games can contain anything. They have music, creative artistic images, moving digital sculptures, all mixed with varying degrees of audience participation. Whole TV shows and movies are occasionally enclosed in game content. They can be anything, and are made into new things all the time.
The internet is that, and more - it's the combination of whatever anyone chooses to share over certain protocols, and even the protocols can change. It can and likely will become almost anything. Are people using it frequently lazy and ineffective at some tasks? Yes - and people everywhere using virtually all tools are also frequently lazy and ineffective.
Did anyone expect the internet to somehow make people especially efficient or effective at every task? Just because someone reads newspapers, that won't make them any better at journalism - same with internet and activism. More opportunities to learn, but it's not a school, and even specialized schools don't have the greatest correlation in reliably measurable improvement.
The only thing you should expect is that using the internet will likely make some folks better at using the internet. Until the internet changes. Everything else is just bonus.
Lazy people sitting on their asses complaining instead of going out and doing something about it. #GetOffYourAss
There, you can consider that my contribution for today in the fight against lazy activism.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
Social media and email and for that matter group-texting are great for organizing pop-up/short-notice real-world street protests.
Local (to me) groups have used Facebook and other tools to arrange last-minute events at least twice in the last few months.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
I'd been considering this for some time. Generally I am writing letters to politicians to raise their awareness of an issue as they have the same problem most busy people do, they are time poor. The difference is, it's the job they were elected to do. Throw in entities with vested interests in an issue and you reach the point where the only people trying to influence politicians are the one being paid to do it.
So, since the question has been asked, here is a experiment for anyone willing to participate, right here, right now. I am writing letters to politicians regarding the TPP. I will reply to my own thread with a version of the draft and I invite anyone or everyone to word their concerns and add it to the letter and extend the effort I've made. Anyone who is prepared to read a section of the TPP and voice specific concerns, even better, just post which section you are refering to.
The end goal of this experiement is a letter that anyone can send to their representatives and maybe we can get politician to work for the people, for once. Alternatively, we will know just how effective the platforms are for this kind of thing.
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
I wish to voice my opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership Bill. I ask that you reject the Trans Pacific Partnership until proper time has been given for our citizens to analyse it's effect.
Considering there are roughly thirty chapters and 6000 pages in this Trade Agreement I would be expecting it to be scrutinised and proper time for the ramifications to be thoughly assessed and not rushed passed the house, considering there is no emergency that it addresses.
As an important part of a functioning democracy, citizens should be allowed to veiw all documents being presented to the parliment so that the impact on our society can be evaluated. The secrecy that has shoulded this bill over the last few years of it's construction followed by the limited time granted, relative to the amount of pages in the Bill, to allow for such analysis subverts the intention of democratic process.
As our representatives you are bound to provide 'Responsible Government' to citizens. Passing a Bill that cannot be evaluated is not a form of responsible government, for this reason alone the Bill should be rejected.
I would like the house to go further and introduce laws, practises or other available legislative instruments that prevent the rushing any legislation into law that has a detremental effect to the country and, that in the event of any emergency legislation passed as law, a mandatory sunset period that has the duration of the government that sponsors the bill.
The other issues rasied by segments of the TPP leaked on the Internet that effectively give away the effective sovreignty of our nation, through Investor State Dispute Settlements, is disturbing. Chilling effects on the Health, intellectual property and many other things that are nation destroying.
For these reasons, and many more, I ask you to defeat the TPP passing into law, and enact structures that prevent these kinds of agreements ever being rushed through the House.
As to specific parts of the agreement I object to the following clauses and seek their removal from any finalized agreement:
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
"Is Technology allowing us to improve ourselves, or allowing us to become lazy and complacent?" The answer is always it depends who and where and when and how. For example, if I'm outraged by Boka Haram, I could (per the article) tweet hashtags and think I accomplished something by venting my gossipy opinions. On the other hand, I can speak directly with Africans in the northern sahel who are online and have 80-90% cell phone teledensity about the problem and get information unfiltered by western media. Half assed opinions emerge and travel briskly, but so does research that snopes those halfassed opinions. Mass communications spreads information and disinformation very quickly, and what matters is how hard you try to get correct information (or to correct disinformation). BTW #freehurricanebenson #freejoebenson #ewastehoax
Gently reply
and groups of a certain size are heard by lawmakers
Ya, every FB group with a thousands members is well known to lawmakers /sarcasm. Lawmakers have no idea about any FB group, it does not matter if they have a million members, or one. If you want lawmakers to hear you, you actually have to attempt to be heard (and we known single people are more than capable of doing this quite well if they have enough drive).
hacktivism is growing in popularity as well
Ya, and DDOSing Trumps website, and threatening ISIS did so much good.
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
This is Slashdot: a community where we have our own little filter bubble of group think that really falls in to the category of preaching to the choir. As far as diffusing motivation to take part in more effective activism... once again: Tu quoque.
It reminds me of all the people who didn't like Bush who went to see "V for Vendetta" in theaters and felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction without doing anything to change the status quo.
I think the logic goes: if you have no power, you might as well surround yourself with other powerless people and bitch about how bad a job the people who are changing the world are screwing things up.
Everything on social media is fake, pointless, irrelevant, and filtered. No change will ever come through social media. Social media was put on the Internet as a way to control us by the people running the system from behind the curtain. Liking a post or changing a profile picture never cause any real change even though your average idiot on Facebook thinks it does.
I don't do this, but I see other groups doing it. They use social media to throw all sorts of heart string pulling events at the wall, and the ones that are accepted by the masses, they can then use for a national campaign on tv. Up until now there was no way to know if propaganda is effective, but social media gives clues to the power of each news article phrased.
I mean you can try to influence people directly online with social media to an extent if you have no budget. But what is effective is tv shows and advertisements for influencing the masses. Use social media to find which stories pull on the heart strings.
But actually discussing the subject and coming up with plans that go more personal and executing em over the internet do actually work sometimes.
For local stuff, it can be fantastic. I was just involved with a large movement to get city council to vote to make municipal gigabit a thing, and we did a lot of networking, communication, and outreach via Facebook, and am now involved in a neighborhood watch group online. For larger stuff, can't say, but for local stuff it's really helpful.
Hacktivism I don't care about, it's done nothing to spur positive change quite the opposite and new hacktivist group are starting to appear with their own agendas and are beginning to cause more damage than ever. SOPA with the help of many organizations did make temporary change for a while that did include using the internet to help with that change. But then people lost interest and now we have variations of SOPA and soon the TPP. And it goes on and on. Biggest problems the 1%. Solution the other 99% will need to stand up to no more and vote accordingly, but I think 98% are distracted with Facebook and reality tv not to mention well curated news to notice that there is a problem and by the time they do it will be too late.
Interesting.
Definitely the latter, IMO.
If one is going to spend the time filling out the stupid petition forms on change.org or whitehouse.gov, they'd be better off just jerking off literally instead of just figuratively. Then, at least, they'd have something to show for an end result afterward.
Fine, you think you've got a cozy little electronic commons where everything will be unicorns and rainbows if we are all just willing to show our beautiful selves to one another. In the meantime, Facebook and its partners are making bank data mining your junk and marketing to you. And they say, "Thanks!"
None of it is real, people agree because it only takes a click, people disagree because they like stirring. They do very little to actually make a difference.. It's the hate mobs that are the problems!
Me: what you doin' tonight?
Mike: check my facie.
Me: but I already have you on the phone...
Mike: yeah but details are on my Facebook.
Me: yeah but dude... I'm talking to you know. It'd be easier if you just told me what you're up to...
Mike: Party at my house. Come on over. It's gonna be poppin off in an hour.
Me: okay bye.
One example of how social media has made people lazy.
I had three guys with shotguns threaten my life over Facebook. Some dumb girl posted some drama about her ex-best friend... I stepped in and figured I'd share my opinion on her public post and how I felt like somethings should be left private, especially since I didn't even know her nor did I care who her friend was sleeping with. Some guy jumped in making threats. It escalated to a life threatening event. Weeks later at a New Years party, I found myself at the other end of a barrel. I spent the count down running to my car. Luckily the boys realized how fucking stupid it was to commit 1st degree murder over some Facebook drama. Sadly I had all three of their names, two of them were on probation. I called their probation officer whom checked out their very public Facebook profiles and discovered they were drinking and a photo bearing all 3 boys holding weapons. I don't know how much shit they caught and I don't mind being labeled a snitch. F you're gonna kill me, make sure it's over something worth fighting for. They are lucky I'm not the type to come back later that night with my firearms...
No one wants to know what you ate for lunch or what you are thinking about when you saw a poster at the mall. No one. And no one sure as hell cares that you and your best friend stopped talking because a guy you like ended up liking your friend instead.. Don't be a cock-block. Let your friend get her clam jammed.