You’ve likely heard the term “activism” to describe citizens affecting political, social, and economic change. But what about its evil twin sister, slacktivism?

Thanks to the rise of the Web, Internet activism has taken the world by storm. We’ve seen regimes toppled by activism campaigns that started on platforms like Twitter and Facebook (read: the Arab Spring), and we’ve seen legislation changed due to activists making their voices known online (such as net neutrality legislation like SOPA).

Internet activism is great. There’s no doubt about that. It allows individuals a platform to express their opinions and join with others to gather a lot of power. Online, your voice is there and it’s public. There are tons of eyes on the Web, meaning an individual’s voice can’t be snubbed as easily as in the past.

But Internet activism is turning out a much more ugly counterpart to activism: slacktivism. As Wikipedia defines it, slacktivism is:

…a portmanteau of the words slacker and activism. The word is usually considered a pejorative term that describes “feel-good” measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little or no practical effect other than to make the person doing it feel some amount of satisfaction. The acts tend to require minimal personal effort from the slacktivist. The underlying assumption being promoted by the term is that these low cost efforts substitute for more substantive actions rather than supplementing them, although this assumption has not been borne out by research.

Affecting real change in the public sphere and in public policy certainly requires using our voices on social media platforms and the Web in general. Slacktivists are often very good at this. They sign e-petitions, “like” articles and comments, and maybe share blog posts and photos.

Have you engaged in any of these behaviors? If so, I commend you. But here is where slacktivists become a problem: often, the efforts make little difference on the issue, and the citizens engaged in online activism are reluctant to step away from their computer screens and take their activism to the public sphere.

Civic engagement is important for policy and legislation changes in our current political landscape. While many Americans tend to be apathetic when it comes to attending rallies and protests or engaging with political organizations–see this Pew research assessing Americans’ involvement in these activities–coming together in the public sphere is monumental for providing a visual and physical outlet for our efforts to effect change and show legislators what we think. Slacktivism is not the answer.

So what are some ways to combat slacktivism? Remember, online discussion is paramount to activism. We absolutely shouldn’t write it off. But citizens must always back up their words by engaging with politics off of the computer, as well. The Internet should work as a tool to fuel political discussion, not replace efforts to effect change. Here are some concrete ways you can avoid becoming a slacktivist:

1. Make small changes in your life. Are you against GMOs? Stop shopping at stores that sell Monsanto products. Against sweatshops? Buy clothing made in the U.S. or shop at thrift stores for secondhand finds. Concerned for the environment? Recycle. Fretting over legislation that will affect you? Call your congressional representative. Let your values shine through in your everyday life choices and actions, no matter how small.

2. Organize with like-minded individuals. Activism doesn’t have to be hard, but it does require some work beyond joining a Facebook group. Support your ideas and effectively demonstrate your goals by getting together to brainstorm ways to tackle issues, whether by phone bombing misguided organizations, attending local government meetings, or passing out brochures.

3. Don’t think money is the answer! Too often, activists think throwing money at an issue will help, and relieve the pressure to take action. But often, problems are much more structural in nature. Learn to identify the root cause of an issue instead of reacting to an emotional plea from a political charity.

Do you think you’ve fallen victim to slacktivism? How do you plan to combat it in your everyday life? Share your thoughts in a comment, or fill out your PeopleCount.org profile to get started with online political discussion.

(Image courtesy Anonymous9000, Flickr)