Digital Activism

Activism is nothing new, it's a prominent part of 

our modern society. 

But what about the idea of Digital Activism..?


"The practice of using digital technology for political and social change"
(http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/digital_
activism_an_interview_with_mary_joyce.php)

With the development of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and blog sites, a debate is emerging about the potential for these Internet-based platforms to encourage a new breed of activists. (http://matt3010.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/social-networking-sites-encouraging-public-mobilisation/)  “Social media raises awareness like never before because it’s more accessible to larger audiences” (Jye Smith)

(http://www.digiactive.org/2009/09/16/defining-digital-activism-1-where-do-we-come-from/)

This diagram was developed by Mary Joyce, co-founder of Digiactive; an all-volunteer organization dedicated to helping grassroots activists around the world use the Internet and mobile phones to increase their impact.

She states that there are 3 groups when it comes to digital activism:

Doers are the Activists. The People writing the blogs, tweeting about the issues

Builders provide the infrastructure that makes digital activism possible, either by creating applications and institutions or by providing funds.

Thinkers collect, analyze, and disseminate information about what digital activism is and what it means.

These dimensions are evident within offline Activism also, but there just aren't the means to distribute the message like with digital.


Dan Shultz, author of A Digiactive Introduction to Facebook Activism (2008), explains why Facebook is a great social media platform for digital activism.

'The social basis of activism explains why  Facebook,  an  increasingly popular social  networking site,   is a natural companion for tech-savvy organizers.  Because of the site’s massive user base and its free tools, Facebook is almost too attractive to pass up'

However, he continues that it isn't such a perfect match after all:

Pros: How Facebook Can Help Activists

• Lots of People Use Facebook
• The Price is Right
• Hassle-Free Multimedia
• Opt-in Targeting

Cons: Why Facebook isn’t a Silver Bullet

• Content on the Site is Disorganized
• Dedication Levels are Opaque
• Facebook isn’t Designed for Activism

So is digital activism taking offline activism's place? 

According to Nathan Bush, social media expert at DP Dialogue, digital activism falls short in changing bigger issues such as political situation – especially in countries with limited Internet access. 

For now, digital activism is still in its infancy - but I think we can expect big things in the form of digital activism in the future.