Topic
Slacktivism is Dangerous : Argumentative Essay
Instructions
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It is true that the initiators of online activism merely sought to find easier ways of communicating about their political causes to more people around the world. In spite of this good intention, though, slactivism has only succeeded in “relegating important political issues to an image, symbol or color” (Corvese). One of the reasons why using symbols, clicks, or “likes” to support political causes in media sites like Change.org and Facebook is so popular is because it does not require any personal sacrifices on the activist’s part. In addition, the internet allows for dozens of such petitions to be signed in just one minute, since users from different parts of the world can access the media platform at the same time. According to Pfeifle, slactivists do not need to “master complex political arguments, research complicated political facts, or spend days organizing political meetings or demonstrations” to register their support for political causes. While this brings personal satisfaction to the user, the political cause itself receives almost no benefit from this type of action. The symbolism that is advocated by slactivism does not just avoid dealing with the issue directly, but also “brings instant gratification” to the user- and thus creates a false sense of reality in regards to engaging in activism (Corvese).
Word Count: 1100