Stop the Scroll: Navigating the Grey Zone of Social Media Activism
The Grinch and I do not condone any online “isms.” Meme credit: Tenor.com
Social media exists quite solidly in a grey zone for me. From love to hate and somewhere in between, my Facebook relationship status with social media would read: it’s complicated. Cute cat videos and online ceasefire petitions fall under “loves”; Incel “free” speech spaces and slacktivist black squares reside solidly in my “loathe entirely” category.
By extension (and at its worst), social media activism can be performative, exhausting, and numbing. I don’t care to count how many times I’ve doomscrolled past devastating online stories (currently appearing in alarming frequency); not because I didn’t care, but because I couldn’t care more.
As a white settler, cisgender female, looking away is my privilege and failing. Marginalized groups can never look away; never “take a break.” But… sometimes I’ve learned I have to look away to preserve my peace, only so I can continue to show up stronger the next day.
I know, I know – I’ve written all this and sound firmly entrenched against social media; however, I cannot deny it has changed the face of activism, with some undeniable benefits.
What’s that? Okay, yes, online spaces can easily become echo chambers. Sure, mis/disinformation spreads like wildfire. Yah, yah, yah, harmful rhetoric seems to go viral the more we fight it.
Wait… what was my point?
Oh yes, it has also provided a “third space” for marginalized communities to find their voices and each other. Once struggling, seemingly niche movements have broken through the noise of traditional (often biased) media to lead global conversations. Long before your dad’s 6 o’clock NEWS has caught up (or decided to pay attention), TikTok and Instagram Reels are showing the unfiltered on-the-ground realities of our modern world.
The advent of participatory online culture has done a lot more than remix the latest viral cat video. We are no longer passive recipients of current events. As digital citizens, we are living, evolving – painfully messy and consistently chaotic – powerful organisms in an online ecosystem. Which begs the question…
What Kind of Citizens Are We?
We should know that if we see a dying tree, the causation and solution cannot be found in its leaves, but rather, its roots. Our society is no different. If the online world is our modern ecosystem, we need to closely monitor what is taking root there, as well as our part in the dynamic.
Okay, but how?
Westheimer & Kahne (2004) call for self-reflection on three kinds of citizens:
- As a personally responsible citizen, I’ve donated to GoFundMe pages and shared informative posts (fighting the “isms”).
- Whenever I’ve organized a fundraiser or joined a digital rally, I’ve become a participatory citizen.
- But how often can I say I’ve been a justice-oriented citizen, digging at the root causes, asking hard questions, and challenging systems? Only recently, and certainly never enough.
All three roles play a critical role in a healthy democracy (on and offline), but only justice-oriented citizens looks beyond the surface to question and challenge injustice.
So, is change happening online?
Let’s Check the Stats!
As an emotionally driven person, I always challenge myself to research the statistics in an argument. Does online social activism make a difference and are we shifting toward digital justice-
The United Way website provides a heap of interesting statistic infographics like this one. Photo credit: Unitedwaynca.org
oriented citizenship?
Looking at the United Way’s 2024 cross-generational survey of 1000 Americans (sorry, I tried to find Canadian stats!), Gen Z leads the digital social media activism charge:
- A whopping 66% of Gen Z activism happens online – generally through fundraising, sharing resources, or awareness-building.
- An impressive half (51%) have attended an in-person rally or protest, inspired by online organizational efforts.
- Who calls them the apathetic generation? 61% volunteer at least once a year.
- 33% have contacted politicians to lobby for change. Having done so myself, I know how volatile even this simple act can be!
- The majority cite that their advocacy is driven by moral and ethical responsibility, as well as personal experience.
This does not sound like keyboard warriors or passive digital citizens to me. Leading to my next question…
Can We Have Productive Social Justice Conversations Online?
My opinion? Yes, but they must be intentional. This is where it gets tricky, navigating social media activism’s notorious grey zone.
By its very nature, social media is fast, reactive, and emotionally loaded. But… it can also be a space for awareness, growth, empathy, and self-reflection. Of course, we must commit ourselves to examining and modelling constructive online discourse.
And, as educators, we MUST help students engage in these conversations and dig deeper into the root causes of societal inequities.
Our Role to Fill the Digital Space, Not Ban It
If there are babies in the river, are we preparing students to look upstream, swim harder, or even change the current itself? In an article written by Nikki D Robertson (2022), ISTE makes a compelling appeal: Rather than ban social media, teach students how to use it responsibly. We’re already swimming in the digital current; pretending it doesn’t exist or telling students not to wade into it only leaves them unprepared.
Geek moment: Willow might have helped Elora, but he certainly never questioned the who, what, where, why, and how of her being in the stream. Photo credit: Lucasfilms.com
Instead, the article states that we must:
- Act as digital citizenship role models – show them what it sounds and looks like to show up online in kind, informed, and critical ways.
- Provide opportunities for student autonomy – everyone learns best by “doing.” The same holds true for students learning to purposefully and ethically engage with the online world.
- Create a safe space for authentic, hard conversations – they must feel comfortable asking difficult questions, engaging in real-world concerns, and reflecting on their personal impact.
- Acknowledge and celebrate that digital activism is civic engagement – rather than feel shame for engaging online, students should see the value of online social justice discourse.
We can develop students into justice-oriented citizens by helping them explore activism offline and online. This is how we transition online activism away from the grey zone and firmly entrench it as an effective social justice pathway, exactly what our digital world so desperately needs.
Final Thoughts: Making Peace with Online Social Justice
Generational differences aside, the majority of us are already immersed in digital spaces. Denial and avoidance solve nothing. At the start of my Masters, I learned from Dr. Katia that we need to fill the space with positivity and progress. If we don’t, someone else will – possibly (and usually) in a way that does more harm than good.
Personally, I use online activism to educate myself first. I read, listen, reflect. Then I bring what I’ve learned into the classroom. For me, the greatest forms of activism begin with a shared sense of purpose, in myself and those around me. When we teach students how to engage online, we help them make sense of the world, and – hopefully – fight for a better one.
POINTS TO PONDER
Once again, please feel free to respond to any/all the questions, or share in your own unique way.
- In what ways have you engaged in performative and/or justice-oriented forms of online social activism? Have you seen an evolution or regression in your engagement?
- If you do actively engage online, how do you balance caring deeply about social justice and protecting your peace?
- What strategies and resources do you use to help students become justice-oriented citizens online (and in person)?
