Social networks are undoubtedly the perfect platform for social activism and the promotion of good causes. Because of their reach, social networks are perfect for talking about issues that affect us in our everyday lives. One of the more prevalent issues that has come to light recently is cyber-bullying. The phenomenon of participating in social causes via the Internet is sometimes referred to as ‘clicktivism.’
I for one think that ‘clicktivism’ can be a great thing. People who might not usually have the time to participate in social causes have the ability to contribute without having to physically be somewhere. While time is often a greater contribution than money, merely spreading the word can be a big step in the right direction for many causes. An article that I read recently discusses a post made by activist Jay Jaboneta, who spent time with kids in the Philippines that had to actually swim to school. One Facebook post sparked the interest of many of his friends, leading them to donate enough money and resources to buy a boat to get the kids to school.
With cyberbullying being such a relevant and important issue, both Facebook and Google+ will be running campaigns highlighting National Bullying Prevention Month in October. Facebook has already release a manual that talks about social media safety practices. Google+ will be hosting Hangouts starting October 10th to discuss safe activity on social media, among other topics.
So it seems that the key to a successful charitable or social activism campaign is to have the right combination of online and offline efforts. We talk a lot about using social media to our advantage, and contributing to social activism is one way that you can get the word out about a cause that you are interested in without a lot of effort on your part or the part of the people you intend to share your cause with.
What kinds of social activism have you participated in? Have you seen charitable campaigns be successful on a social media platform? Share with us!
