Editing Slacktivism (section)

==Types==
===Clicktivism===
The term "clicktivism" is used to describe forms of internet-based slacktivism such as signing online petitions or signing and sending form letter emails to politicians or corporate CEOs.<ref name=":7" /> For example, the British group [[UK Uncut]] use Twitter and other websites to organise protests and direct action against companies accused of tax avoidance.<ref name="Clicktivists - a new breed of protestors">{{Cite news |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23914725-the-clicktivists---a-new-breed-of-protesters.do |title=Clicktivists – a new breed of protestors' |publisher=London Evening Standard Online |date=January 19, 2011 |access-date=February 11, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219093616/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifestyle/article-23914725-the-clicktivists---a-new-breed-of-protesters.do |archive-date=February 19, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> It allows organizations to quantify their success by keeping track of how many "clicked" on their petition or other call to action.

The idea behind clicktivism is that social media allow for a quick and easy way to show support for an organization or cause.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is clicktivism — Clicktivist |url=http://www.clicktivist.org/what-is-clicktivism/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315075541/http://www.clicktivist.org/what-is-clicktivism/ |archive-date=2016-03-15 |website=www.clicktivist.org}}</ref> The main focus of digital organizations has become inflating participation rates by asking less and less of their members/viewers.<ref name=":7" />

Clicktivism can also be demonstrated by monitoring the success of a campaign by how many "likes" it receives.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last1=Hutchins|first1=Amber|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jR-4CwAAQBAJ&q=clicktivism+and+monitoring+success&pg=PA169|title=Public Relations and Participatory Culture: Fandom, Social Media and Community Engagement|last2=Tindall|first2=Natalie T. J.|date=2016-03-10|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-65974-7|language=en|access-date=March 13, 2021|archive-date=January 17, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117170415/https://books.google.com/books?id=jR-4CwAAQBAJ&q=clicktivism+and+monitoring+success&pg=PA169|url-status=live}}</ref> Clicktivism strives to quantify support, presence and outreach without putting emphasis on real participation.<ref name=":6" /> The act of "liking" a photo on Facebook or clicking a petition is in itself symbolic because it demonstrates that the individual is aware of the situation and it shows their peers the opinions and thoughts they have on certain subject matters.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cornelissen|first1=Gert|last2=Karelaia|first2=Natalia|last3=Soyer|first3=Emre|date=2013|title=Clicktivism Or Slacktivism? Impression Management and Moral Licensing.|url=https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/1014000/volumes/v10e/E-10|journal=ACR European Advances|language=en|volume=E-10|access-date=March 12, 2021|archive-date=December 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208215948/https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/1014000/volumes/v10e/E-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

Critics of clicktivism state that this new phenomenon turns social movements to resemble advertising campaigns in which messages are tested, [[clickthrough rate]] is recorded, and [[A/B testing]] is often done. In order to improve these metrics, messages are reduced to make their "asks easier and actions simpler". This in turn reduces social action to having members that are a list of email addresses, rather than engaged people.<ref>{{cite web| last=White| first=Micah| author-link=Micah M. White| title=Rejecting Clicktivism| url=http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/blackspot-blog/rejecting-clicktivism.html| publisher=AdBusters| access-date=November 16, 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121120000/http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/blackspot-blog/rejecting-clicktivism.html| archive-date=November 21, 2011| df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{cite news |first=Micah |last=White |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/aug/12/clicktivism-ruining-leftist-activism |title=Clicktivism is ruining leftist activism |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 12, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423105317/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/aug/12/clicktivism-ruining-leftist-activism |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Charity===
Charity slacktivism is an action in support of a cause that takes little effort on the part of the individual. Examples of online charity slacktivism include posting a Facebook status to support a cause, "liking" a charity organization's cause on Facebook, tweeting or retweeting a charity organization's request for support on Twitter, signing Internet petitions, and posting and sharing YouTube videos about a cause. It can be argued that a person is not "liking" the photo in order to help the person in need, but to feel better about themselves, and to feel like they have done something positive for the person or scene depicted in front of them. This phenomenon has become increasingly popular with individuals whether they are going on trips to help less fortunate people, or by "liking" many posts on Facebook in order to "help" the person in the picture. Examples include the [[Kony 2012]] campaign that exploded briefly in social media in March 2012.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cross|first=Allison|title=Hunt for Ugandan war criminal Joseph Kony video goes viral|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/07/hunt-for-ugandan-war-criminal-joseph-kony-video-goes-viral/|access-date=March 7, 2012|newspaper=National Post|date=March 7, 2012}}</ref>

Examples of offline charity slacktivism include awareness wristbands and paraphernalia in support of causes, such as the [[Livestrong wristband]], as well as bumper stickers and [[mobile donating]]. In 2020, during the [[COVID-19]] [[pandemic]], [[Clap for Our Carers]] gained traction in several countries.

The term slacktivism is often used to describe the world's reaction to the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]]. The Red Cross managed to raise $5 million in 2 days via text message donations.<ref name="CNNPeteCashmore">{{cite news|url = http://articles.cnn.com/2010-01-14/tech/cashmore.haiti.earthquake.relief.technology_1_social-media-twitter-and-facebook-text-haiti/2?_s=PM:TECH |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130119202038/http://articles.cnn.com/2010-01-14/tech/cashmore.haiti.earthquake.relief.technology_1_social-media-twitter-and-facebook-text-haiti/2?_s=PM:TECH |url-status = dead |archive-date = January 19, 2013 | date = January 14, 2010 | access-date = March 4, 2013 | last = Cashmore | first = Pete | publisher = CNN | title = Haiti quake relief: How technology helps}}</ref> Social media outlets were used to spread the word about the earthquake. The day after the earthquake, CNN reported that four of Twitter's top topics were related to the Haitian earthquake.<ref name="CNNPeteCashmore" />

=== Charity as a by-product of purchasing products ===
[[File:Nano omores.jpg|thumbnail|upright|A red iPod nano, an example of supporting a charity through buying products]]

This is the act of purchasing products that highlight support for a particular cause and advertise that a percentage of the cost of the good will go to the cause. In some instances the donated funds are spread across various entities within one foundation, which in theory helps several deserving areas of the cause. Criticism tends to highlight the thin spread of the donation.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}} An example of this is the [[Product Red]] campaign, whereby consumers can buy Red-branded variants of commons products, with a proportion of proceeds going towards fighting AIDS.

Slacktivists may also purchase a product from a company because it has a history of donating funds to charity, as a way to second-handedly support a cause. For example, a slacktivist may buy [[Ben and Jerry's]] ice cream because its founders invested in the nation's children, or promoted social and environmental concerns.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mangold|first=W.|author2=David Faulds |title=Social media: The new hybrid element of the|journal=Business Horizons|year=2009|pages=357–65|doi=10.1016/j.bushor.2009.03.002}}</ref>

===Political===
Certain forms of slacktivism have political goals in mind, such as gaining support for a presidential campaign, or signing an internet petition that aims to influence governmental action.

The online petition website [[Change.org]] claimed it was attacked by Chinese hackers and brought down in April 2011. Change.org claimed the fact that hackers "felt the need to bring down the website must be seen as a testament to Change.org's fast-growing success and a vindication of one particular petition: A Call for the Release of [[Ai Weiwei]]."<ref>{{cite web|author=Daniel|title=Chinese Hackers Vindicate "Slacktivism"|url=http://projectquinn.com/chinese-hackers-vindicate-slacktivism/|publisher=ProjectQuinn|access-date=December 6, 2011|archive-date=February 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202111524/http://projectquinn.com/chinese-hackers-vindicate-slacktivism/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ai Weiwei, a noted human rights activist who had been arrested by Chinese authorities in April 2011, was released on June 22, 2011, from Beijing, which was deemed as a victory by Change.org of its online campaign and petition demanding Ai's release.

===Sympathy===
Sympathy slacktivism can be observed on social media networks such as Facebook, where users can like pages to support a cause or show support to people in need. Also common in this type of slacktivism is for users to change their profile pictures to one that shows the user's peers that they care about the topic.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.livescience.com/52837-french-flags-on-facebook-does-it-matter.html |last=Pappas |first=Stephanie |title=French Flags on Facebook: Does Social Media Support Really Matter? |work=LiveScience |publisher=Purch |date=November 18, 2015 |access-date=January 4, 2017 |archive-date=January 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104234453/http://www.livescience.com/52837-french-flags-on-facebook-does-it-matter.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This can be considered a virtual counterpart of wearing a pin to display one's sympathies; however, acquiring such a pin often requires some monetary donation to the cause while changing profile picture does not.

In sympathy slacktivism, images of young children, animals and people seemingly in need are often used to give a sense of credibility to the viewers, making the campaign resonate longer in their memory. Using children in campaigns is often the most effective way of reaching a larger audience due to the fact that most adults, when exposed to the ad, would not be able to ignore a child in need.

An example of sympathy slacktivism is the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet's campaign "Vi Gillar Olika" (literal translation: "We like different").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/vigillarolika/ |title=Vi gillar olika {{pipe}} Aftonbladet |publisher=Aftonbladet.se |date=January 18, 2014 |access-date=July 24, 2014 |archive-date=September 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930114249/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vigillarolika/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This campaign was launched against xenophobia and racism, something that was a hot topic in Sweden in 2010. The main icon of the campaign was an open hand with the text "Vi Gillar Olika," the icon that was adopted from the French organisation [[SOS Racisme]]'s campaign Touche pas à mon Pote in 1985.<ref>{{cite web |author=Rör inte min kompis |url=http://www.rorinteminkompis.se/historia |title=Rör inte min kompis {{!}} Historia {{pipe}} |publisher=rorinteminkompis.se |access-date=November 24, 2015 |archive-date=January 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126192910/http://rorinteminkompis.se/historia |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Another example was when Facebook users added a Norwegian flag to their pictures after the [[2011 Norway attacks]] in which 77 people were killed. This campaign received attention from the Swedish Moderate Party, who encouraged their supporters to update their profile pictures.<ref>{{cite web |author=Namn obligatorisk |url=http://moderaterna.net/upplands-bro/2011/07/25/deltagande-med-det-norska-folket/ |title=Deltagande med det norska folket {{pipe}} Moderaterna i Upplands-Bro |publisher=Moderaterna.net |access-date=July 24, 2014 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001051/http://moderaterna.net/upplands-bro/2011/07/25/deltagande-med-det-norska-folket/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>