Difficulty level (register)

K1 73.9
ENG1010 English for Effective Communication K2 7.3

‘Slacktivism’: Legitimate Action or Just Lazy Liking? K1+K2 81.2

AWL 5.7
Off-list 13.17
Ilona Lodewijckx
Lexical Density 0.54
MAY 20, 2020
Readability 14.4

Slacktivism: A Formal Introduction

The United Nations defines slacktivism as when people “support a cause
Why is it called “armchair”?
by performing simple measures” but are not necessarily “engaged or
___________________________
devoted to making a change.” Other frequently used terms are ‘clicktivism’
Other armchair collocates:
or ‘armchair activism’.
experts, psychologists, critics

5 Basically, slacktivism is a way to voice your opinion about a certain cause

without taking to the streets or risking your neck. It’s the viral hashtag
What are these?
you’re retweeting. The yellow ribbon on your shirt. The rainbow-coloured
___________________________
frame on your Facebook picture. The ‘Save The Turtles’-petition you
signed last week.

10 Of course, we do those things with the best intentions. But is this a valid Guess the meaning?
type of activism? Or is it just a way to appease our conscience without ___________________________
truly having to engage?

“Imagine no pandemic”
During the current coronavirus crisis, slacktivism has gained renewed —
and not always positive — attention. Merely six days into lockdown, 25
15 well-known celebrities, led by actress Gal Gadot, released a video montage
of themselves covering John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. “Imagine no
possessions,” they sang from the comfort of their luxurious homes.

In a pandemic that hits poor and vulnerable communities

disproportionately hard, this video was considered a tone-deaf message Who do these people refer to?
20 from people in a situation of extreme privilege. What was intended as a ___________________________
message of solidarity and compassion rapidly became a symbol of
slacktivism at its worst. The New York Times stated: “On social media,
Gadot and her crew were lambasted for bumblingly contributing, well,
whatever this is as opposed to money or resources. Their genial naïveté is
25 blinding them to the grossest sin here: the smug self-satisfaction, the hubris
of the alleged good deed. The presumption that an empty and profoundly
awkward gesture from a passel of celebrities has any meaning whatsoever
borders on delusion (…).”
 ENG1010 English for Effective Communication
The ‘Imagine’ debacle may have been the worst example of slacktivism Is this positive or negative?
30 during this pandemic, but it was not the most famous one. Since the positive / negative
beginning of lockdown, people have come together on their balconies and
doorsteps to clap for the medical staff on the front lines of this crisis. This Guess the meaning?
started out as a heart-warming sign of solidarity, but as the crisis raged on ___________________________
and the clapping continued, it also raised questions.

35 Criticism arose that a lot of the people clapping for care workers
consistently vote for political parties that cut health care funding during
election times. It brought to the attention that those who are suddenly
deemed ‘essential workers’ have long been underpaid and undervalued.
Plus, the narrative of describing our medical workers as ‘heroes’ also sets
40 them up to be martyred: “by cheering martial metaphor without providing
protection and payment, we are asking for martyrdom, not heroism—
insensible, unnecessary martyrdom, a death caused by the miserliness of
capital, the dysfunction of government, the failure of a state so
comprehensive it staggers the mind.” The people risking their lives to care
45 for our sick and vulnerable or keep our supermarkets open don’t need an
applause: they need funding, protection and compensation.

Take the “slack” out of slacktivism

But it isn’t all bad. During these times of crisis, communities across the
globe have shown exceptional resilience and solidarity. Across the world,
people are offering each other help in doing groceries, babysitting, picking
50 up medication or walking the dog. While volunteers in Brussels are
distributing meals for health care workers, volunteers in Germany have set
up a platform that facilitates person-to-person assistance. While these
initiatives are more activism than slacktivism, they do show that helping
out and getting involved doesn’t always require an enormous effort.
Fill in the following blanks to
replace the phrase:
55 And over the course of the pandemic, pure slacktivism has shown its value
- t______ the pandemic
as well. Instagram has launched #StayHome and #IStayHomeFor stickers
- across the p____ of the pandemic
that people can use in their stories. This new feature has helped to highlight
the importance of respecting the lockdown guidelines, especially for
younger audiences. As Social Media Today states, “Thus far, the available
60 research suggests that COVID-19 is not a major health risk for younger
Guess the meaning?
people, but it can be fatal for those in older brackets. So while the majority
___________________________
of Instagram’s user base is under the age of 34, and may not consider
COVID-19 to be a significant threat to them personally, by highlighting the
extended impacts to other family and friends, it could help to underline the
65 importance of social distancing for all, regardless of your risk level.” If a
 ENG1010 English for Effective Communication
simple sticker on a social platform can make younger audiences realise the
dangers of a deadly virus and simultaneously send a positive message to a
key worker they care about, that is slacktivism at its best.

In order to inspire true change, we’ll have to drop the ‘slack’ eventually. As
70 the ‘Imagine’ disaster has shown, it also serves us well to acknowledge our
privileges when addressing a certain topic. But that doesn’t mean that
slacktivism in itself has no value. Instead of viewing it as a replacement for
more straightforward types of action, we should see it as a first step.

It can be an easy, shareable way for people to talk about a cause they are
75 passionate about, or to get educated on new topics. After all, isn’t every
reasonable voice addressing an urgent topic inherently a good thing? Is
limited action not always better than no action at all?

Besides, slacktivism arguably serves as some kind of ‘gateway drug’ for

people who are less inclined to participate in politics or public debate. And
80 the more voices resound on a certain topic, the more solid its democratic
value, right?

Source: https://www.citizenlab.co/blog/civic-engagement/slacktivism/

Words that occur all the time in this text:

ENG1010 English for Effective Communication
Before you read:
1. Take a guess about what you will learn from this article.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Be prepared to do the following as you read:
a. Highlight unfamiliar words
b. Underline referencing words (e.g. this, that, it, they, we, which, that)
c. Write down synonyms next to newly-learned words

Understanding the article:

1. Name an example of slacktivism that is NOT mentioned in the article.
________________________________________________________________________
2. Explain why the “Imagine” incident was criticized by many as insensitive.
________________________________________________________________________
3. In line 69, the author writes, “In order to inspire true change, we’ll have to drop the ‘slack’
eventually”. What does she mean by that?
________________________________________________________________________
4. The word solidarity appeared three times in different paragraphs. Without looking it up
online, try to guess what it might mean.
________________________________________________________________________
5. Name TWO advantages of slacktivism in causing social change.
________________________________________________________________________

Reflection:
1. Do you believe slacktivism encourages or discourages social engagement?
________________________________________________________________________
2. Slacktivism has often been used as a derogatory term.
a. Explain why that is.
__________________________________________________________________
b. Think of a more neutral replacement for the word “slacktivism”.
__________________________________________________________________