Social Media: Activism or Slacktivism?

Digital Spaces and Digital Literacy

Today, digital spaces are often THE place where people, especially youth, gather, connect, and learn. That’s why it’s important that educators recognize the value and complexity of social media activism. While online activism is sometimes dismissed as ineffective or superficial, I believe it can be both meaningful and worthwhile.

As the speaker in the video points out, the same hashtags that helped drive global movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo were also vulnerable to misinformation and co-optation. That’s why digital literacy is more important than ever. If you’re looking for tools and lesson ideas, take a look at my Summary of Learning PD Presentation.

Social Media Connects

Social media is where people share information, reduce stigma, raise awareness, and start important conversations. It allows individuals across the globe to connect over shared causes, find community, and engage in activism in ways that weren’t possible before. Whether it’s sharing an infographic or live-streaming a rally/protest, digital platforms can amplify voices and strengthen movements. Here is a portion of the recorded version of the live-streamed “Hands Off” rally:

 Activist or Slacktivist?

The article Activism or Slacktivism: The Potentials and Pitfalls of Social Media in Contemporary Student Activism highlights the double-edged sword of digital engagement. On the one hand, social media allows students to quickly raise awareness, organize events, and build networks across regions and causes. Free platforms like Instagram and TikTok give young people new opportunities to be seen and heard!

But we also need to be aware of “slacktivism” or superficial gestures like liking or reposting something without deeper engagement. While still important for bringing awareness, likes and shares alone won’t upset systems of oppression.

 Our Responsibility as Educators

Not all online citizenship leads to lasting change. As educators, we can lean on the framework from What Kind of (Digital) Citizen? which builds on Westheimer’s three types of citizens: personally responsible, participatory, and justice-oriented.

Many students are already acting as personally responsible digital citizens – liking, sharing, commenting respectfully. And that’s a solid start! But, we can guide students to go further that that. We can encourage participatory actions like creating content, planning digital campaigns, or organizing virtual events. And ultimately, we should be helping students become justice-oriented digital citizens – those who use digital spaces and tools to question systems, amplify marginalized voices, and drive real change.

Social media isn’t perfect, but it IS powerful. Let’s help students use it with purpose, ethics, and courage (not by banning phones lol)!