Digital Activism

So this week I got to spend a lot of time down in Denver for Halloween. It was a blast but unfortunately I fell behind in this weeks module, now I’m trying to play catch up.

Digital Activism, also known as Internet Activism is defined by Wikipedia as

“Internet activism (also known as web activism, online activism, digital campaigning, digital activism, online organizing, electronic advocacy, cyberactivism, e-campaigning, and e-activism) is the use of electronic communication technologies such as social media, e-mail, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster and more effective communication by citizen movements, the delivery of particular information to large and specific audiences as well as coordination. Internet technologies are used for cause-related fundraising, community building, lobbying, and organizing.”

To me, and by my understanding, activism is when someone is very involved and very active with what is going on in the world and the community around you. There are many forms of activism and there are definitely extremists when it comes to activism. In fact, that’s what most people think of when they think of activists. I have a previous history with researching activism and it’s actually pretty interesting to see people wanting to be so involved with something they are passionate about.

Digital activism has been making a break through recently with how involved everyone is with technology and social media. It’s a great way to reach out to those who may be interested with what you are active with and make yourself known to those who may be unaware. It is changing how people are involved with different organizations and politics.

“Digital activism has transformed political protest in the last two decades. Smartphones and the internet have changed the way political events, protests and movements are organised, helping to mobilize thousands of new supporters to a diverse range of causes. With such activity becoming an everyday occurrence, new forms of digital activism are now emerging. These often bypass the existing world of politics, social movements and campaigning. Instead, they take advantage of new technologies to provide an alternative way of organizing society and the economy.”

–Beyond hashtags: how a new wave of digital activists is changing society

Digital Activism is something to be expected now with how technologically advanced our world is. There will always be activists and they will always find a way to make their thoughts an opinions heard. Resources such as social media is a great way to make this happen.