Digital Activism & Faulty Sense of Praxis

Digital activism: social movements in the era of the internet. The internet has made it easier for many social movements to plan and share their ideas with others. Activists use hashtags, social media, and internet campaigns to get more people to see their work rapidly. #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo are two examples of hashtags that have allowed people all around the world share their own stories and join together to fight for racial justice and stop violence against women. People who employ "hashtag activism" might join online organizations to aid each other and call attention to issues in society.  More people have been able to work together to make things better because to this technology.  This way, it breaks down old barriers by helping groups share information fast and locate friends who are far away.  Many people utilize social media to help causes they care about. They join interest groups, share news, and find out about events, for instance. Scholars assert that social media may facilitate the establishment of a collective identity among organizers, thus enhancing their cohesion despite geographical dispersion. But there are also some challenges with taking action online. People are worried about "slacktivism," which is people who "like" or share items without truly doing anything. Platforms commonly post alarming content, which can make people feel better but can also promote incorrect information or bring people together who agree with one other. Activists typically use both the internet and real life to get things done. Digital calls, for instance, helped organize climate strikes and protests in the 2020s. This illustrates that technology utilized online can work nicely with protests in the streets. The Internet is now a big place for social groups to be.  It helps more people talk to each other faster, but it also takes careful preparation and thought.  This change helps us understand how people support modern movements and how people act in communities in the 21st century.

Sources:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01292986.2023.2180529  You can get more information at https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol5/iss1/1/.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X20300324