Online Activism: A Waste of Time Or the Perfect Strategy?

From Flickr user moroccanmary
I hear a lot of talk (and read a lot of text on my computer screen) that links blogging, social media, and online activity to social change and activism. Of course, I agree that online communication facilitates and complements activism: important relationships can be built, essential resources can be found, and news and ideas can be shared easily. But I'm still a bit unsure about the concept of being an "online activist." From personal experience, it seems to me that getting bogged down with the details of your Facebook, Wordpress, Twitter, and Flickr accounts can waste a lot of time and take energy away from other more tangible (and maybe more effective) ways of taking action.

But my recent discovery of DigiActive gave me real-life examples of online activism to consider. I was impressed by some of the stories: a network of African American bloggers was highly influential in spreading the word about the Jena Six case; a Facebook group is being used to publicize information about and rally international support for two jailed physicians in Iran.

DigiActive also points out several useful resources and tools for those using online media for activism. There's an Introduction to Facebook Activism, a guide to Designing an Advocacy Video, and a summary of how to use text messaging for community organizing.

Especially after looking at these examples and tools, I can agree that online activism is important (and absolutely essential in many cases)—but only when accompanied by real-life, on-the-ground activism. Do you have any suggestions for finding that healthy balance?


This entry is by Joanna, who writes frequently here and on the Idealist in NYC blog. She works on Idealist's Community Outreach Team.