We’re currently living through a digital revolution. Following the emergence of Web 2.0, the technological advancement of smartphones and the rise of social media, digital technology has become the conventional tool of choice for anyone seeking to bring about positive social or policy change.

Digital activism is continuing to change the way we raise awareness of issues and organise social movements.

What is digital activism?

In simple terms, digital activism is a form of activism that uses digital media (i.e. the internet, social media, email and podcasts) to raise awareness of an issue, attract supporters and take action. 

Having an online presence helps activists to educate as many people as possible on their issue, rally a group of like-minded people, and more efficiently fundraise and organise events. 

In particular, sharing the issue via social media platforms allows the message to reach a wider audience and makes communicating with supporters quicker and more effective.

Mobile communication

Online news and social media apps on our phones and tablets keep us in the loop with current affairs and recent social movements. Everything can be accessed via our mobile devices, so we can watch, read, comment on, and share anything we like.

The ability to broadcast photos and videos to the world directly from our devices has also completely altered the way we document news events and respond to issues of social injustice. 

Now, it’s almost instinctive for us to become the reporter and film or photograph a shocking event unfold. Video footage captures physical evidence of injustice, and when shared on social media, it’s there for the world to see. 

For example, to give the world an insight into their current reality, Ukrainian citizens have been sharing harrowing footage of distressed civilians fleeing from their homes as Russian explosives hit nearby buildings.

Social media

The social media boom has had a remarkable impact on digital activism.

Studies have shown that young adults, particularly Gen-Z, are now more likely to learn about global events from sites like Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok and Snapchat than they are from watching the news. 

In fact, politicians now often livestream on Facebook and Instagram to engage young people in politics. 

News travels more rapidly than ever on social media platforms. And sometimes we’re informed of global events via social media before they’re even broadcast on traditional news channels. 

In the Summer of 2020, 17-year-old Darnella Frazier witnessed the murder of George Floyd. She recorded the white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Mr Floyd's neck, which resulted in his death. The video evidence was posted on Facebook by Darnella and went viral before news channels managed to report the story. The footage has already formed part of modern history for the global reaction it inspired.

During the protests following Mr Floyd’s murder, more footage of police brutality towards black Americans circulated around Twitter, and very quickly reached an international audience. People rushed to mark their allyship, sharing useful resources in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and starting petitions to win justice for other black victims of police brutality.

Social media increases the visibility of social and political movements, and we’re now made aware of campaigns and petitions almost exclusively through social media channels. 

When we reshare a petition, it will likely be shared by some of our followers, and then by followers of followers. The snowball effect of reshares is exactly what generates signatures.

People also now have a space for documenting and sharing their lived experiences; social media has made it possible to build an online community of people with similar issues.

For example, some sufferers of Long COVID have taken to TikTok to share and raise awareness of their symptoms. They can connect with other sufferers around the world via the comment section and the ‘stitch’ feature, which allows users to respond with a video. 

Digital activism doesn’t obstruct offline activism - social media posts can also help to mobilise supporters for in-person protests and organise offline events.

Hashtag activism

Hashtag activism has become a go-to strategy for activists in recent years. Using relevant hashtags can help build public support of an issue, advocate a cause and start a wider discussion around the topic. 

Hashtags can trend quite quickly, particularly on Twitter, and they often get a lot of engagement. Hashtag activism also provides an opportunity for marginalised groups, who are usually left out of the conversation, to share their unspoken truths. 

Some of the more recent hashtag movements include #BlackLivesMatter, #StopAsianHate, #MeToo and #YesAllWomen.

The COVID-19 pandemic

The pandemic led to a huge upsurge in our use of technology. At a time when we couldn’t meet in person, interacting virtually was our only option.

In the UK, people were angered by the government’s incompetence and failure to prepare for the pandemic in the early stages. Hospitals were overwhelmed, PPE provided to NHS staff was years out of date and care workers were not equipped to deal with outbreaks in residential homes.

But anyone who wanted to take action had to reconsider their strategy, as in-person meetings and street protests would have also compromised public health. Activists and campaigners took advantage of social media channels for raising awareness of issues and building online communities. And at this time, the use of online petition platforms increased significantly.

Data from Change.org’s Global Civic Engagement Index shows that the number of people using the platform’s tools, i.e. shining a light on issues and influencing decision-makers to bring about policy change, had skyrocketed since the pandemic hit at the beginning of 2020.  

Recent examples of digital activism

TW: Mention of sexual assault.

Me Too

The Me Too movement, or #MeToo, was first started by Tarana Burke in 2006 to highlight the the prevalence of sexual harrassment and assault towards women in society. 

When the sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein were publicised in 2017, the Me Too movement gained momentum and the hashtag #MeToo soon became viral on social media platforms. It prompted other female actresses to follow suit and speak up about their experiences of Weinstein’s abuse of power and predatory behaviour. 

Once more women came forward, the pervasiveness of the problem became apparent. The solidarity of the victims who finally made themselves heard on social media platforms was highly influential, as it eventually led to the termination of sexual predators from their high-profile roles and the sentencing of Weinstein to 23 years in prison.

Gina Martin’s upskirting campaign

Gina Martin started her campaign to make ‘upskirting’ illegal after a man had non-consensually taken a photo under her skirt at the British Summer Time Festival in 2017. When she reported the incident to the police, they told her that it was not recognised as a criminal offence so they couldn’t take any action. 

Gina posted about her experience on Facebook. The post soon went viral as other women expressed their sympathies and shared similar personal experiences. 

A petition was started to reopen her case, and it eventually received over 100,000 signatures. Gina began campaigning for an anti-upskirting policy change and was represented by lawyer Ryan Whelan. 

Finally, in 2019, upskirting was recognised as illegal under the amended the Sexual Offences Act (2003), now known as the Voyeurism (Offences) Act.

Who can participate in digital activism?

Activists lobby for social or policy change and are usually members of social movements. Anyone can be an activist, so long as they are dedicated to their cause and eager to take action using whatever means they have available to them.

If you’ve been affected by a problem and you’re interested in taking action, you too can participate in digital activism. Find Others can help you find other people with the same issue, so you can build an online community and take action as a united force. 

We are stronger when we come together

Use our free tools to start or find an existing campaign, petition, or legal case today. For more help getting started, please take a look at our guidance article.