Digital activism in social networks and the danger of misinformation

Over the past decade, social media has seen a massive influx of new users who have been innovating with original and useful content for thousands of people. Among these accounts that are generating so much interest amongst the public, there are quite a few digital activists. In digital activism, Users are using digital media to raise awareness amongst the public on a social or political issue and maximise its audience.

In the past, activism involved taking to the streets to demonstrate, spreading the word by word of mouth, through newspapers, on television, and in other ways that required a degree of physical presence. However, many activists have switched to digital activism because the potential influence exerted by social media.

What is digital activism?

Digital activism is the practice of to publicly advocate for social and/or political causes on the internet and, in particular, on social media. Unlike traditional activism, digital activism has the advantage that reach a larger and more targeted audience. 

Furthermore, due to its “ubiquity” and ease of access, it has the potential to persuade more people and raise users’ awareness of ethical and topical issues.

Examples of digital activism

To be more specific, some examples of digital activism include:

• Social media campaigns: Use platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to spread information and mobilise people around a specific cause. Example: the use of hashtags such as #BlackLivesMatter or #MeToo.

• Online requests: Create and sign petitions on platforms such as Change.org to demand changes from governments, companies or institutions.

• Digital boycotts: To organise and promote boycotts against companies or products that do not align with certain ethical values, using social media to spread the message and recruit participants.

• Dissemination of educational content: To share infographics, videos, articles and other informative resources on relevant topics in order to raise awareness and educate the public.

• Participation in online forums and groups: Join online communities dedicated to specific topics and take an active part in discussions, offering support and sharing useful information.

Digital activism vs. traditional activism

One might think that digital activism has killed off real-life activism. In a way, it is true that social media has instilled a sense of passive conformity in people and have led to a certain degree of demobilisation.

However, social media activism can also persuade people to change certain behaviours (for example, encouraging people to shop at local businesses) and to to bring together thousands of people at locations all over the world.

Political activism and ICT

Whilst not all digital activism revolves around politics, the prime examples that stand out above all others due to their intense online activism are the political parties, particularly those aimed at a young audience.

ICTs have democratised political communication by enabling a wider and faster dissemination of information. Social media, blogs and instant messaging platforms have enabled politicians to communicate directly with the public, and have allowed the public to communicate and to identify with the causes which political parties find it easier to champion.

Furthermore, activism is also characterised by the clarity of ideas. In the media, online newspapers and on social media, political parties – including those in government – report on their political activities and justify their funding to the public through digital publications.

How does political activism work on social media?

It’s easier said than done, but the basics of digital activism on social media aren’t difficult to grasp. The secret lies in generatingContent that informs, entertains and makes an impact, and that it resonates with a particular audience. In other words, we must offer the user value that goes beyond the activist action itself.

By example, we can set up an independent news channel, a podcast focusing on specific social issues, a design account with an underlying social purpose, a political meme account, and so on.

In the case of political figures, part of their social media activism also involves to interact with the audience in some way in the form of ‘likes’ or occasional comments. This creates a synergy that makes it easier for users to identify with our cause and feel genuinely involved in it.

What’s more, if we produce truly striking and controversial content, we’ll manage to that users share our content of their own accord via text messages or stories, which will help us reach a wider audience.

A good digital activist always studies their audience, is passionate about their cause, is observant and seeks the creativity needed to produce content that truly conveys the values of their cause.

In turn, a very important factor is that of the customer loyalty. If someone feels strongly committed to a cause or a political party, it is common for them to decide to go beyond the screen, champion the cause themselves and take to the streets to raise awareness amongst others, without necessarily becoming digital activists themselves.

The dangers of disinformation in digital activism

This very same ability of digital activism on social media to disseminate content on a massive scale also carries with it a significant risk: disinformation. Disinformation (also known as fake news), understood as the the deliberate or accidental dissemination of false information or misleading, it poses a serious threat to credibility and to society as a whole.

When activists share information that distorts reality, whether intentionally or due to a lack of verification, they risk undermining public trust in the cause they are defending. Furthermore, the fake news they tend to be inflammatory, so stir or rouse their audience with particular vigour.

In the context of digital activism, disinformation promotes a social fragmentation which erects barriers between different sections of society, thereby hindering constructive dialogue and pitting one group of people against another.

In a broader sense, disinformation in digital activism represents a threat to democracy. A well-informed public is essential for a democracy to function properly, as citizens must have access to accurate information in order to trust the country’s social actors and public institutions. This threat is exacerbated by the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to detect fake news because of artificial intelligence, as in the deepfakes.

The proliferation of false information on social media, stemming from poor practices in political activism, undermines this fundamental principle because it erodes the quality of public debate and It breeds widespread mistrust of the media.