Slacktivism

So, I recently learned a new word.  Slacktivism.

Wikipedia defines it as

“a term formed out of the words slacker and activism. The word is usually considered a pejorative term that describes "feel-good" measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little or no practical effect other than to make the person doing it feel satisfaction. The acts tend to require minimal personal effort from the slacktivist. The underlying assumption being promoted by the term is that these low cost efforts substitute for more substantive actions rather than supplementing them, although this assumption has not been borne out by research.”  (Don’t tell any of my old college profs that I’m citing Wikipedia)

Some words just need to exist and slacktivism is one of them. Much like “truthiness” and “fremeny,” slacktivism fills a void in the English language.  It describes something many of us engage in every day, something important to our culture. When you sit at your computer and like a friend’s post on breast cancer awareness or tweet a message about saving a government program (two examples I got from checking my facebook newsfeed), you are engaging in slacktivism.

So, what does this mean for non-profits?  What does it mean for your association?
Slacktivism has been kind of a dirty word for non-profits.  It calls to mind images of people simply “liking” something instead of doing. It means half-hearted participation. It means less face-to-face contact.  It flies in the face of many of our tradition notions of what involvement should look like.  It can be scary for non-profits and opens us up to the world in a new way.  Certainly, likes, clicks, and tweets cannot replace volunteers, donations and lobby efforts.  BUT, slacktivism, when used correctly, can be a valuable tool for your association.  Here’s how

1)  It spreads the word.  Remember Kony 2012.  No matter what you think of the scandal that followed, they got the word out.  Every time someone liked that video Invisible Children’s message grew a little stronger.

2)  Its free.  When was the last time something was free?  The internet is one of the last bastion’s of “free.”  Now, since its free to create a facebook page or a twitter account, organizations and individuals will sometimes go crazy with it.  After all, since you don’t pay per post, why not post 100 times day?  Bad idea.  Just because social networking is free doesn’t mean you can’t do real harm by over posting.  Be measured in frequency.

3)  Its easy.  That’s what slacktivism is all about isn’t it?  You aren’t asking much of people so they are more likely to participate. 


4)  Its a foot in the door.  What starts out as slacktivism can easily turn into real participation.  As a casual observer grows familiar with your organization, they may be more likely to donate or pick up the phone and give you a call.

-Nicole P.