Mia Lucci

ENG 110

Jesse Miller

27 November 2023

The Downfall of Activism

Activism is defined as the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change. These days people use social media as a platform of spreading awareness and creating change. Some people may argue that activism today should not be considered activism when taking into consideration past forms and events. From sit-ins to rallies and protests, people took charge to fight for what they believed while people today simply sign a petition online and call it a “movement.” Malcolm Gladwell’s essay “Small Change” discusses the contrast of today’s activism versus that of the past. In a similar way, Sherry Turkle talks about online conflicts versus face-to-face, and the effect of modern technology on our conversation in her essay “The Empathy Diaries”. Activism these days is not the true meaning of activism, but is merely a way to gain attention or attempt to make change without having to go out of one’s way.

The execution of old activism has gone out the window and has turned to signing anonymous petitions. As the world becomes drawn to technology, activism in our lives becomes digital much like everything else. These petitions are shared through various social media platforms, but the real question is: Are they effective? Gladwell brings up the term “strong-tie phenomena” (Gladwell 6), and “weak-tie phenomena” (Gladwell 7). This strong-tie refers to the thought that old activism was achieved through word of mouth and the more friends that an individual had within the cause, the more likely they were to join in on the movement. Meanwhile, weak-ties refers to today’s era of activism. This is where everything is spread through a post on social media between acquaintances. In this he is claiming that there is a vast difference between old ways of activism and the new ways. He believes that this “weak-tie phenomena” can lead to “high risk activism” (Gladwell 7). I believe this to only be partially true, for although more people will gain the knowledge of the issue, it is greatly possible that individuals will scroll past without a second thought. However, due to the fact that almost everything online can be anonymous or someone is hidden behind a screen, this could lead to harsher arguments. Turkle provides an interesting perspective on online disputes. She says, “…I hear families say they air their differences on email to avoid face-to-face conflict.” This has become normal these days. People would rather hide behind a screen and argue rather than settling something in person even if they are as close as family. This is the same situation for activism. Many would prefer to hide behind a screen to fight than stand up and make their points in person.

Individuals will not join in on activism unless they are passionate about the topic, but many also seem afraid that it will become a riot. Gladwell tried to use the argument of “strong-tie phenomena” in the sense that more friends make it more likely to join because it spreads by word of mouth. However, Turkle brings up the perspective that people will only talk about what they want to. She states “They allow themselves to be vulnerable. They are fully present and open to where things might go…It was a question people wanted to answer” (Turkle 347). People get excited and more willing to talk about topics they are passionate about, this is what truly drives individuals to take action on topics that require activism. Even so, it is rare that people will take charge and organize any sort of protest or other “high risk activism.” Rather they will create a petition and look for signatures. This way they are hidden behind a screen. Many will rarely even go door-to-door anymore out of fear that someone else will not align with their views. It is as if they have the fear of rejection. If activism were to happen in person rather than over the internet, it is still possible for it to remain civil. It is not required for protests to be aggressive and argumentative, rather entirely possible for it to be a conversation. Turkle uses an example from a class setting in which “conversations with a good teacher communicate that learning isn’t all about the answers. It’s about what the answers mean” (Turkle 347). It is entirely possible to settle opinionated subjects by sharing ideas. Going door to door does not mean there will be arguments, but rather the experience to gain other perspectives and broaden your outlook.

People will do anything to gain attention these days and love to be noticed. This makes it surprising that they would not be willing to do more for activism. Signing a petition anonymously does not gain any sort of attention to themselves except for when they repost it on a social media platform, and even then there is no say as to whether others will click on it or view it. Many will only do it if it gains them some sort of recognition. Gladwell discusses a situation where an individual was in need of bone marrow. After a simple post online, “nearly twenty-five thousand new people were registered in the bone-marrow database…” People are more inclined to do this for the fact that it is a good deed and will gain them recognition. Gladwell states, “In fact, it’s the kind of commitment that will bring only social acknowledgement and praise.” Being the center of attention is a hope that most people have even if it is only for a brief moment of time. People want to be known as a good person and this is the best possible way to do so. After doing a good deed, people love to post about it on social media as much as possible whether it is trash pickup or redoing a garden for the nearest church. Turkle says, “Why not focus on the positive…We like to hear these positive stories because they do not discourage us in our pursuit of the new…” (Turkle 349). People would rather hear the positive stories than the negative in order to create a sense of happiness. On the other hand, people love to share positive stories and pictures because they want their lives to seem better and more exciting than they are in reality. This in return gains them the positive comments and feedback about how great they are doing and how great their life is which gives them the validation they are craving. This is how “activism” through social media gets people. They feel good about themselves and don’t feel the need to go out and do more for the cause. This is ultimately the downfall to activism how it was. 

Activism today is strictly executed through technology unlike the past when people would join a movement to make change. There is a vast difference in the effectiveness of these methods. It is difficult to go unnoticed when people are visible in public no matter how calm or aggressive they are. Through technology, it is much easier to ignore what is happening and press a “do not show similar items in this feed” button. It would take much more effort to make change through technology. Even sites like “CHNGE” that advertise all over instagram and other popular apps becomes forgotten until the next ad pops up. Activism has turned from a movement for good to a chance for attention and in today’s terms should not even make a close consideration to the true definition of activism.