There’s been a long and spirited debate about the rise of slactavism and whether people taking simple actions online actually create social change. As Randy Paynter, founder of Care2.com so eloquently states “online activism is motivating more people than ever to make a difference, in his article Slacktivism: Why Snopes got it Wrong About Internet Petitions. Used as part of a multi-channel approach online petitions and pledges can help raise awareness and motivate people to get more involved with campaigns that offer deeper engagement opportunities.
And like with many hot button issues, the slactavism debate has inspired a great infographic. The graphic illustrates how online activism has inspired hundreds of thousands of petition signatures for organizations like Avaaz over night. For example, when Avaaz was lobbying to clean up corruption in India, over 500K people signed it in less than 24 hours. Thanks to public pressure and smart online/offline organizing new anti-corruptions laws are now in the works.
The infographic also highlights how online activists are:
- 4x more likely to encourage others to sign a petition or contact a politician about a social justice issue.
- 2X likely to volunteer and take part in an event.
- 2X as likely to ask for donations to support charities.
During the SOPA blackout, over 3.9 million tweets were sent out related to SOPA. And 59% of people say that the Internet has helped people come together to take action around social justice issues.
So tell me, who is slacking again?