Online Activism: Does it Really Work?
In the digital world we live in today, onlive activism is crucial. Online activism is the act of individuals and organisations advocating for causes that they care about such as social justice or environmental issues. In 2020, online activity is more common than ever and therefore online activism is important to spread awareness and information fast and to large quantities of people. Online activism relates directly to digital leadership as both concepts highlight improving the lives, circumstances, and well-being of others through learning and sharing, promoting important causes about societal inequalities, and being a positive influence on others. Current times call for more social distancing and less in-person gatherings, so online activism plays a critical role today in making change and spreading current news about what is currently going on around the world.
We can achieve more than we would think with online activism. Online activism is one of the greatest ways to share information quickly and to a large number of people, and is therefore effective in spreading awareness which is an important part of activism. I don’t think that online outrage and activism are being confused for one another, but rather outrage is turning into activism as society expresses concerns and awareness. Social media helps give underrepresented groups a voice and a platform to use their voice which is important for making an overall difference.
Over the summer online activism was at large as everyone posted black screens for the #BlackLivesMatter movement and shared updates of the race war in what seems like seconds after it happens. Online activism has been especially important and useful this year as we battle the current coronavirus pandemic and are forced to make changes in the ways we communicate. Without technology given us the ability to advocate for important issues online, awareness would not have spread the way it did and any change may have never been made.
American comedian, rapper, and television host Nick Cannon is a prime example of someone who has used their online platform for online activism against social justice issues. Nick uses his fame and social media platforms such as Instagram to spread awareness on the social justice that America faces today. One thing that I think is important about the way the Nick Cannon demonstrates online activism is that he doesn’t only make posts about the issues at hand when its trending, but he keeps reminding us about issues that still have not been solved and still needs attention and activism.