Of all of the made-up trendy words to join our language since the internet took over the world, slacktivism is by far my favorite. So let’s start off by clarifying something: the term slacktivism usually has negative connotations. As Wikipedia has it:
The word is usually considered a pejorative term that describes “feel-good” measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little physical or practical effect, other than to make the person doing it feel satisfied that they have contributed.
In many ways, all of this talk we hear about supporting causes and spreading awareness, especially when it comes to us through social media sources such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Medium and their ilk, is really just about slacktivism. We’ve all been told to share a Facebook post for a good cause or to wear a certain color shirt on some particular day in support of a cause, and for the most part there is no harm in this form of awareness-building participation. The problem, then? There may be no real benefit, either.
We all want to feel like we are doing good in the world. And seeing as though the primary intended audience of this very article is a group of dedicated volunteers at Fiddlers Grove, I feel safe in skimming over a detailed analysis of the differences in talking about a cause and working for a cause. It’s obvious you already know the difference. So here, then, is the crux of what I call the Slacktivism Problem: our time is limited and precious, so we want quick and easy solutions to our problems. And that’s why I’d like to take just a few brief minutes to introduce you to three easy things you can do to turn slacktivism into real help for your favorite causes.
1) Amazon Smile
Chances are, you are already using Amazon.com to make online purchases. If you aren’t, statistically speaking at least half of the people on your Facebook friends list are. And the real power of knowing that little tidbit of demographic trivia is that we can now also assume that half of your friends’ friends are using it, and so on and so on. While I’m not here to preach the virtues of online shopping, I am here to ask you to do Fiddlers Grove a big favor: tell people about how they can use Amazon Smile to help us out. The hope is that some of them will do the same in return, which then greatly extends the audience we can reach with our message of helping Fiddlers Grove.
So, it works like this: Go to smile.amazon.com instead of going to plain old amazon.com like you normally would. That’s it. The Amazon Smile program can also be used on your smartphones and tablets! For an easy rundown of how to select Fiddlers Grove (or any other charitable organization that has filled out the paperwork), head over here for help. While you’re at it, check out how to change your web browser’s Amazon bookmark to Amazon Smile instead, thus making this amazing fund-raising activity automatic on your part. Here’s a little tip: If you’ve set up your web browser’s bookmark right, the little black logo that used to show up for Amazon will now be a little orange logo. If you need any help making this all happen on your devices, please feel free to let me know in the comments section below, and I’d be glad to help.
2) MTEMC’s Sharing Change
If you live in the counties that receive service from Middle Tennessee Electric, you can participate in their amazing Sharing Change program. You can head over here to get the full rundown, but here’s the gist: you can opt to round your monthly electric bill’s total up to the next highest dollar, and MTEMC will donate it to charitable organizations right here in our community. The best part, Fiddlers Grove is on their list! If you are feeling exceptionally generous, you can even add an extra dollar (or five) to your bill and they’ll spread that extra love around, too. You can sign up online, on your bill or by filling out one of their postage-paid postcards.
3) Make it Count!
The hallmark of the kind of slacktivism we are trying to avoid is the click, share and forget mentality that can easily develop over time in even the most conscientious concerned citizen. We live in a world that is just swimming in information. And while most of it can seem to be of the mindless viral-video kind, there are things out there on the internet that are worthy of our time, attention and sharing. By first taking the time to ask yourself whether or not the information you come across on social media actually puts money in the can, volunteers on the coordinator’s list and/or food on the table, you’ll know if something is share-worthy. For example, if you were to come across this video about Sharing Change, and then you actually took the time to go here to sign-up before you shared it along the line, you will have done everything you needed to do to turn the negative kind of slacktivism into a real form of activism. And you never had to get out of your chair!
Many of the our online actions, such as using Amazon Smile, have a built-in option for sharing your small contribution to a larger goal with the world via Facebook and other social media sites. I used to personally view these options as a kind of self-aggrandizing bragging, but when I stopped to consider how I first came to know about programs such as Amazon Smile, I realized that the simple act of sharing what I do with others can have the power of bringing more people into the know. Which brings me to my last suggestion for how to turn social media slacktivism into real help for your favorite causes: only share what you have already acted on. After all, if it was important enough for you become involved, it is important enough to share!
