The Pros and Cons of Online Activism: How to Make It Count

-

    In the last decade or so, activism has had a huge change in appearance. While most people think of protests, marches, strikes and boycotts, a lot of activism in recent years has shifted online. While online activism garners both overwhelming praise and criticism, it, like most internet behaviors, has its benefits and drawbacks. Understanding its strengths and weaknesses can help to participate in online activism in helpful, effective ways. First, it may be helpful to review the types and methods of internet activism.

    Online activists use a variety of tools to help their cause. Online petitions, crowdfunding, social media can be used to bring awareness to causes, raise funds, and organize in-person protests. For example, take the Arab Spring protests in 2011, which were organized on Facebook. Blogs are essentially “uncensored journalism,” (Watters, 2024), as anyone can start and maintain one. Technological advancements such as smartphones play a role, since most people have internet access everywhere they go, and a camera that can be used to document and share injustices. 

    One of the benefits of these tools is their accessibility (Young, 2025). Pretty much anyone can be a part of a cause with a few clicks on their computer, or a few taps on their smartphone. Additionally, these online resources are available to almost everyone, regardless of the world climate. During the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, face-to-face activism was not really advisable or possible, but people were still able to continue their efforts through the internet and maintain connections with others who valued their cause (Watters, 2024). It has also allowed marginalized people and groups to have their voices heard and amplified, as well as caused movements to gain momentum and spread quickly (Young, 2025).

    However, online activism has quite a few drawbacks that have been especially apparent since the pandemic. The most prevalent is likely that there is no real commitment to the cause, so it often does not go far beyond the internet. Social media users repost infographics and articles and then put the issue behind them, feeling like they have done their part and there is nowhere else to go from there. Additionally, it is concerning that online influencers could hypothetically use current issues that are popular to discuss increasing their engagement and improve their online presence with no real care for the issue at all. On the other hand, social media consumers who only consume content about terrible events and issues going on in the world can feel overwhelmed and burnt out, causing them to move on from activism completely. Additionally, as always, misinformation can be spread quickly and easily on the internet, and online activism is no exception (Young, 2025).

    To make online activism count, it is important to bring it into the real, offline world. Young people need to focus on using their technological resources effectively and efficiently, and get involved in their local governments by voting and contacting representatives. They need to practice self-care in order to avoid burnout. It is important for them to keep in mind that small efforts like these count much more than simply reposting an infographic or article alone (Vince, 2024). 

 Comment Below:

  • Have you ever been involved in online activism that led to tangible change? How so?
  • Have you ever experienced or been involved yourself in performative activism (activism for a person’s appearance or reputation rather than devotion to a cause)?
  • How do you think we can use our online activism tools to lead to actual change in the world?

References:

Vince, J. (2024, December 16). Gen Z’s Next Challenge: Transforming Activism into lasting change. The Crisis. https://naacp.org/articles/gen-zs-next-challenge-transforming-activism-lasting-change#:~:text=Digital%20Activism&text=Social%20media%20platforms%20have%20played,support%2C%20and%20galvanize%20mass%20movements

Watters, R. (2024, June 7). Digital Activism: The good, the bad, the future. HAD. https://had-int.org/digital-activism-the-good-the-bad-the-future/  

Young, G. (2025, March 25). The rise of online activism: How social media is shifting ways people fight for change. The Rocky Mountain Collegian. https://collegian.com/articles/landc/culture/2025/03/category-life-and-culture-the-rise-of-online-activism-how-social-media-is-shifting-ways-people-fight-for-change   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are Online Communities Trying to Replace Offline Communities? Will It Work?

-
     In our digital writing course, one subject we have touched on is that of digital communities. With the rise of social media and the recent coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown, digital communities are alive and thriving; however, could these online communities be taking the place of in-person communities?      First, it's important to understand what a community is. Maggie Wooll simply defines a community as “a group of people with something in common” (Wooll, 2025). This common factor can be faith, a hobby, physical location, academic, a job, or a profession. As long as the common factor is present along with a sense of trust and connection, it is considered a community. The most common types of communities are neighborhoods, faith-based communities, hobby-focused communities, volunteer spaces, alumni groups, coworking spaces, professional development, and employee resource groups (Wooll, 2025).  All that considered, why are they so impor...
Read more

How We Can Make Social Media More Accessible

-
       One of the main benefits of social media for any use is its accessibility. After all, anyone with a smartphone should be able to participate in almost any community or discussion at any time, so long as they are connected to the internet. However, it is important to consider how people with certain disabilities or barriers may have a more difficult time using these features that we deem to be “for everybody.” It is important that people of all abilities are able to understand and interact with content on the internet in order to uplift voices from all different walks of life and create a more equitable society (Gladkov, 2025).       For users with disabilities, increased accessibility allows them to access more information and opportunities. For those without, it allows them to spread their contact and get feedback from the users with said disabilities. Additionally, brands will be able to advertise and cater to a larger audience if they ma...
Read more