Elle Australia — May 2017

O

ne of the most successful examples of

“slacktivism” – the philanthropic trend where

actions performed via the internet in support

˜Š™˜•’’ŒŠ•˜›œ˜Œ’Š•ŒŠžœŽ›Žšž’›Ž•’Ĵ•Ž’–Ž

or involvement – was the ALS ice-bucket

challenge, which reached viral status in July 2014.

Facebook feeds and news channels were awash

ǻ•’Ž›Š••¢Ǽ  ’‘ œ‘˜› Ÿ’Ž˜ Œ•’™œ ˜ ™Ž˜™•Ž ŽĴ’—

buckets of ice water dumped on their heads, before

they’d breathlessly nominate a couple of friends to carry

˜— ‘Ž Œ‘Š’—Ȭ•ŽĴŽ›Ȭœ¢•Ž –˜ŸŽ–Ž—ǯ

America’s ALS Association, a non-

™›˜ę organisation that promotes

awareness of the motor neurone

diseaseamyotrophic lateral sclerosis,

says the campaign brought in

$151 million of donations to them

alone. Successful? You could say that.

But a 2016 study found that the

people on your social feed who brag

the most about supporting charities

are in fact the least likely to hand over their hard-

earned cash. Researchers analysed 3,500 pledges made

žœ’—‘Ž

Ž•™ĴŠŒ”! app, which facilitates donations

and gives users the option to share news of their

Œ˜––’–Ž— ’‘›’Ž—œ˜—‘Ž’›ŠŒŽ‹˜˜”Š— ’ĴŽ›

™›˜ę•ŽœǰŠ—˜ž—‘Š‘Ž™Ž˜™•Ž ‘˜Ž•ŽŒŽ˜œ‘Š›Ž

word of their benevolence were also the most likely to

back out when it actually came time to donate.

Yes, there are plenty of nice things to say about

slacktivism – it sparks conversation, brings otherwise

˜›˜ĴŽ—ȱ˜›ȱ’—˜›Ž’œœžŽœ’—˜‘Žœ™˜•’‘ǰŒŠ—’ŸŽ

the impression of strength in numbers and is a vital

ꛜœŽ™’—ž›—’—•˜ Ȭ”Ž¢’—Ÿ˜•ŸŽ–Ž—’—˜Ž—ž’—Ž

action – but the harsh reality is this: a “like” on Instagram

can’ ˜ Šœ –žŒ‘ ˜˜ Šœ ›˜™™’— Š ꟎› ’—˜ ‘Ž

Salvos’ money collection canǰ Š— ‘’Ĵ’—“ŠĴŽ—’—”

on a Facebook event doesn’t guarantee people will

actually front up (see: Trump’s inauguration). Tyson

Koh, campaign manager of anti-lockout advocacy

group Keep Sydney Open, sees both perspectives. “I get

slacktivism,” he says.“It’s becoming harder to live

comfortably in big cities and people

are preoccupied with trying to

survive. Team that with everything

going on in the world, how can

anyone help but feel paralysed?”

Keep Sydney Open has more than

60,000 likes on Facebook, and the

group’s online petition has garnered

almost 55,000 signatures. But even

Koh agrees it’s not enough to simply

get involved while you’re waiting in

•’—Ž˜›¢˜ž›–˜›—’—Œ˜ěŽŽǯȃShowing online support

is incredibly important. It’s where the ideas around

issues are shaped and a mood for change becomes

palpable. [But] physical protests are important, too. At

the end of the day, politicians respond to a threat to

their jobs. That’s why slacktivists, if they really care,

œ‘˜ž•Œ˜—œ’Ž›Š”’—œ˜–ŽŽ¡›Š’–Ž˜ ›’Ž•ŽĴŽ›œ

and support their chosen cause at IRL protests.”

Having seen the recent rallying power of protests, it’s

clear there’s a new era of activism upon us. It’s no

longer enough to sit down and share quietly.

GREYMATTER

Is it enough to share a Facebook postor utilise a hashtag without actually donating your time or

money to a cause you believe in? The current trend of“slacktivism”begs the question...

REAL WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

“I raise up my voice – not so I can shout,but so that those without a voice can be heard...

We cannot succeed when half of us are held back.”– MALALA YOUSAFZAI

YOU COULD:

Donate money

to a cause

BUT YOU CAN ALSO:

Donate your time.

Many grassroots

organisations need

hands-on help. You

may just be stuffing

envelopes, making

phone calls or painting

T-shirts, but it’s those

jobs that can make

all the difference.

YOU COULD:

Commiserate with

female colleagues

BUT YOU CAN ALSO:

Mentor a female

staff member.

A little support and

guidance can go

a long way in helping

other women navigate

their way through the

workplace and build the

confidence they need

to go on to greatness.

YOU COULD:

Sign up to

a campaign

BUT YOU CAN ALSO:

Educate yourself about

the issue. Knowledge

is power, and to speak

passionately on any

subject you need all

the facts from both

sides so you can have

an informed opinion.

Then go forth and

educate others.

YOU COULD:

Post a picture to

social media

BUT YOU CAN ALSO:

Invite five friends to join

you at that women’s

rights rally on Saturday.

Fronting up to show

your support and

bolster numbers sends

a powerful message of

solidarity to those in

positions of influence.

Then go Insta-crazy.@

YOU COULD:

Sign a petition

BUT YOU CAN ALSO:

Write a letter or, better

still, arrange a meeting

with your local MP to

explain your feelings

on the issue and ask

them to put pressure on

the government (then

send a thankyou note

afterwards reminding

them of what they

agreed to).

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”– MADELEINE ALBRIGHT

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