Project for a film class at Queen's University. Presentation attempts to show the merits of slacktivism and how they can be utilized in effective activist campaigns.

1. How to Harness the
Power of Slacktivism
Photo by: Helloquence

2. Although
traditionally looked
down upon in
society, slacktivism
becomes a major
proponent of real
activism when
harnessed in the
right way by
effective leaders.
Photo by: Jonathan Velasquez

3. Photo by: Andrew Illarionov
low-risk, low-cost activity via social media whose
purpose is to raise awareness, produce change,
or grant satisfaction to the person engaged in the
activity
-Dana Rotman
Slacktivism has been defined as,
“ “
[1]

4. Photo by: Jaelynn Castillo
This kind of low-level participation is often
attributed to laziness and many people
blame the results of failed activist
campaigns on such behaviour.

5. As we mark this one-
year anniversary of the
Nigerian kidnappings, the
girls of Chibok are at risk of
becoming victims of
slacktivism as much as
radicalism.
- Craig Kielburger
“
This is the feeling most people have when they think
of the #BringBackOurGirls Campaign.
[2]
”
Photo by: Oshomah Abubakar

6. As of right now, not one missing girl has
been rescued, despite the
1 million tweets in support.
Photo by: Jordy Meow
[3]

7. Even the highly publicized Kony 2012 campaign,
which garnered over 100 million shares, was
ineffective. Kony is still at large despite all this
“support.”
Photo by: Virginia Choy
This story is not unique.
There are hundreds of failed change.org petitions,
despite being tweeted and shared.
[5,6]
[4]

8. Photo by: Yolanda Sun
The lack of traffic isn’t the issue.
7/10 North Americans use social media and 52% go
online to discuss what's on their minds.
[7,8]
[7,8]

9. Photo by: Benjamin Child
How can we harness online traffic and willing
slacktivists to further important activist causes?
It all starts with the leadership and strategy.

10. Organizations and
activists must learn
that ... there must be a
plan to engage
supporters once
they’ve clicked and
keep them engaged
after the hashtag stops
trending.
- Craig Kielburger
Photo by: Benjamin Child
“
“
[2]

11. Photo by: Helloquence
1. Strong Leadership Strategy and
Organizational Tactics
2. Low-level Participation Opportunities
3. Appreciation for Low-level Participation
4. Continued Engagement from Supporters
To generate a successful campaign
supported by social media and online
petitions there must be:

12. Photo by: Olu Eletu
Strong Leadership Strategy and Organizational Tactics
Online campaigns are only as effective as the management
behind their promotion, distribution, endorsement, and
participant recognition.
…guided by the hands of
a savvy nonprofit marketing
or engagement specialist,
each small next step helps to
cultivate [slacktivists] for your
cause.
– Ritu Sharma
[9]
[10]
”
“

13. How did the
campaign get so
many people to sign
up? By not asking too
much of them.
– Andy Smith
Photo by: Tim Gouw
Low-level Participation
Activist campaigns need to create opportunities that allow
supporters social recognition without the chance of personal
and financial risk.[11]
[11]
”
“

14. We found that
participants who
signed the online
petition were
significantly more
likely to donate
money to a
related charity,
demonstrating a
consistency
effect.
-Yu-Hao Lee
Photo by: Abigail Zeenan
[12]
“

15. We wouldn’t
necessarily gauge
someone’s value to the
advocacy movement
based on what they’ve
given.
- Spokesperson for the Save
Darfur Coalition
Photo by: Gianandrea Villa
Appreciation for Low-level Participation
To encourage new participants, small displays of slacktivism
must be praised. Engagement on social media creates a
relationship that can lead to financial support in the future.[13]
[11]
”
“

16. We appreciate all
those clicks … [because]
they help us make sure that
the world’s most vulnerable
children and their families
are not forgotten.
- Caryl M. Stern
Photo by: William Iven
Continued Engagement from Supporters
To leverage an existing online presence, activist leaders
need to stay connected with participants and supporters to
ensure public interest continues. [8]
[8]
”
“

17. Two examples of organizations that
effectively harnessed the power of
slacktivism are The ALS Association and
The Save Darfur Coalition.
Photo by: Benjamin Child

18. ALS ICE Bucket Challenge
To spread awareness, this campaign
challenged Facebook users to pour a bucket
of ice water over their heads or donate $100
to the ALS Association.
Photo by: Anders Jildén
The campaign was so successful that it
raised 800% more than the previous
year.[10]

19. The reason for this success?
Support was generated without asking too much financially
from supporters and minor contributions were praised on
Facebook by an individual’s friends.
Photo by: Jared Erondu

20. Photo by: Saulo Mohana
Millennials, in particular, want to participate and they want
their friends to know their participating.
2/3 Millennials believe someone on a computer creates
more change than a person rallying and protesting on the
street.[14]

21. The coalition gained momentum in 2010 with
over 1 million members on Facebook, each
donating an average of nine cents apiece.
Save Darfur Coalition
This campaign is still in effect and is attempting to
respond to the Sudanese genocide in Darfur.
Photo by: Seth Doyle
[11]
[15]

22. How did it generate such a response, years
after the actual crisis?
- The leaders of the campaign laid out a detailed plan for how
financial support would help restore peace to the region.
- Participants were challenged to contribute in non-financial
ways such as liking their Facebook page.
- The coalition continually creates new ways to get involved
and informs supporters of current developments.
Photo by: Misty Pittman
[15]

23. What separates successful online activist campaigns
from failed ones is their leaders’ ability to utilize
slacktivism in a positive way. By having a practical
strategy that encourages slacktivists to contribute in
small, meaningful ways and continues to engage
supporters long after the first click, activist campaigns
can continue to have a powerful impact on the
world.
Photo by: Jonathan Velasquez

24. [1] Rotman, D. et al. "From Slacktivism To Activism: Participatory Culture In The Age Of Social Media". Annual
Conference Extended Abstracts On Human Factors In Computing Systems. New York: ACM, 2011. Web. 31
May 2016.
[3] Dewey, Caitlin. "#Bringbackourgirls, #Kony2012, And The Complete, Divisive History Of ‘Hashtag
Activism’". Washington Post. N.p., 2014. Web. 1 June 2016.
[4] Aronowitz, Nona. "Does Change.Org Really Change Anything?". Dame Magazine. N.p., 2016. Web. 1
June 2016.
[6] Laing, Aislinn. "A Lords Resistance Army Commander Goes On Trial But Joseph Kony Still Eludes Justice".
TIME.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 1 June 2016.
[9] Gonzalez, Justine. "Online Petitions: Slacktivism At Its Best". Policy.Mic. N.p., 2011. Web. 1 June 2016.
[11] Gladwell, Malcolm. "Small Change - The New Yorker". The New Yorker. N.p., 2010. Web. 1 June 2016.
[12] Lee, Yu-Hao and Gary Hsieh. "Does Slacktivism Hurt Activism?: The Effects Of Moral Balancing And
Consistency In Online Activism". CHI Conference On Human Factors In Computing Systems. New York: ACM,
2013. 811-820. Web. 1 June 2016.
[14] Faw, Larissa. "Are Millennials Lazy Or Avant-Garde Social Activists?". Forbes.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 1 June
2016.
[15] "Darfur: The Crisis Continues". Save Darfur. N.p., 2015. Web. 3 June 2016.
Works Cited
External Research Sources
Photo by: Helloquence

25. [2] Kielburger, Craig and Marc Kielburger. "A Click Is Not Enough To Have Impact On World".canoe.com.
N.p., 2015. Web. 30 May 2016.
[5] Bresciani, Sabrina and Andreas Schmeil. "Social Media Platforms For Social Good". 6Th IEEE International
Conference On Digital Ecosystems And Technologies (DEST). Campione d'Italia: IEEE, 2012. 1-6. Web. 1 June
2016.
[7] Matrix, Sidneyeve. "Module 02: Online Friendship". 2016. Presentation.
[8] Sterm, Caryl. "In Praise Of Clicktivism". The Huffington Post. N.p., 2015. Web. 31 May 2016.
[10] Sharma, Ritu. "Stop Pouring Ice On Clicktivism". The Huffington Post. N.p., 2014. Web. 31 May 2016.
[13] Matrix, Sidneyeve. "Module 04: Social Good". 2016. Presentation.
All photos were taken from unsplash.com under the Creative Commons Zero allowing for free modification,
distribution, and use without asking for permission from the specific photographer or unspash.com.
Course References
Photo by: Helloquence