Clicktivism is the activism of the internet, the encouragement of a cause, charity, or event through the internet. You click around and eventually make a difference online. The growth of social media and other online media has seen an equally significant increase in the way NGOs use the Internet for campaigning, and so it is a disservice to restrict clicktivism exclusively to support a cause and the work that these organizations have done. From online petitions to crowdfunding, there are many kinds of clicktivism:
- Organizing protests and boycotts
- Crowdfunding
- Activism
- Online movements
- Online Petitions
- Political campaigns
- Charity funds
- Online Parody
Organizing Protests and Boycotts:
“Clicktivism” has changed the way of organizing any protest or boycott. With the increasing number of users of social media, Clicktivism has able to gather more people for protests. There’s no way that many people would have been able to find out about social media protests before.
Online Petition:
The online petition is a process of a petition, typically via a form on a website, that is signed online. Online petitions help raise awareness of the challenges that our society faces. Injustices, environmental causes, and regulations that need to be amended are some of the issues protected by online petitions. It is a form of clicktivism. In a matter of minutes, petition websites are helping to set up digital campaigns. Similarly, social networks and messaging applications ensure that the petition will spread much farther than would have been possible otherwise. As you then have a global audience for your campaign, this is advantageous. For creating an online petition, petition sites like Change.org and iPetitions are remarkable.
Online Movements:
Another way people raise awareness of a cause is by posting posts and attempting to draw decision-makers’ attention by outrage from social media. And this is called “Online Movements”. Many individuals have been adversely affected by online false allegations, threats, and defamation. Intense online activism has been involved in some of these cases. Make sure you know the original poster before you decide to share a post and confirm that they’re an honest person.
Crowdfunding:
By raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet, crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture. Crowdfunding is a form of alternative finance and crowdsourcing. This online activism approach is really powerful because money gets stuff done! Crowdfunding is an effective way to support a charity, and even a few dollars will assist a charity and include you in helping someone in need.
Clicktivism has evolved to become a part of daily social media life in past years. And there are many ways you can engage from home and support a cause. So many, that clicktivism, in reality, is the future.