Slacktivism is now a threat to my sanity. It’s probably the first time those who do it have ever affected anything, so I guess some congratulations are in order. Who knows? If they keep up their annoying online snobbish trash, I might organize a counter-activism group to protest the shitty, lazy activism that’s driving me up the wall.
So, what is “slacktavism?”
It describes those who act involved and active in the protest or championing of a certain issue, but do little or nothing to actually assist said issue. For an example, think of any kind of tragedy gripping the world right now; it can be starving children, ethnic genocide, the daily rape of 1500 women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, financial ruin in other countries, or a domestic issue that is somehow comparable to those foreign tragedies. Now, post to facebook about the issue and that everyone should rally together and do more about it, and act all pissed off and offended that everyone isn’t aware of this issue.
You’ve now done fuck all to fix the world, but have felt like you’re a tried and true activist, and that you’ve done your part to raise awarenessGhandi with an Internet connection. Congrats, you’ve just participated in slacktavism.
Do me a favour: go to Africa, find a starving child, then take that kid’s picture with your cellphone and say, “Dude, don’t worry, I’m tweeting the shit out of this.” See if he feels any better.
Sure, you’ll feel better, confident that you’ve done “what you could” to raise awareness, but you’ve really done nothing.
It seems like I’m stating the obvious, but this is what is happening all over the Internet. One quick glance at facebook shows an outpouring of can-do attitude for any number of global problems; however, all those people had to do to act like they were participating was string together a sentence about how, “this is really serious guys,” and then click the share button.
I’m sorry guys, but this is bullshit. Sharing a YouTube video, putting a sticker on the back of your car, making a poster, tweeting, telling your friends, or writing long diatribes on your blog will do nothing to save anyone. It only succeeds to make you feel better about yourself, knowing that you somehow contributed to something that needs real solutions.
Even if you go and talk to your local politicians, you’re still doing nothing. Of course these government officials say, “Something like this cannot go on,” and “We the government will do everything in our power to make sure that we do what we can.”
What did you expect them to say? “No, we’re going to do nothing, because we’re busy doing other things, and we don’t really give a shit.”
People, like Bill Gates, have donated billions of dollars to certain problems, and those problems still exist. Your facebook status/online campaign is so beyond ineffective, and it’s a Western idea of how to fix problems people in the developed world couldn’t begin to understand with their fancy Internet machines and bullshit self-righteousness.
Chances are, sharing and viewing the living hell out of the YouTube videos these campaigns fire out does nothing but stuff advertising dollars into the pockets of those who made it. That goes beyond slacktavism, that’s profiting off tragedy, and all you needed to do was edit sad images to sad music and occasionally flash the words “we can make a difference” on the screen.
