Week 2 Blog Post

The reading from Jackson talks about the rise of online activism and activist strategies online since we live in a digital age where everything is bound to be shared and easily accessible on the Internet. The internet makes it easier to spread the word about a movement in comparison to back then, Jackson even stating that, "two-way communication networks via the Internet have made possible new formations of activist media and influenced the everyday workings of social movement organizing and implementation." With the Internet, online activism can take quite a few forms, including email, social media, websites, online forums, etc. However, online activism has brought up debate of topics such as "clicktivism" and "slacktivism", where actions such as liking and sharing posts online does not have quite the same impact as offline activism. These debates have been debunked by researchers, Jackson saying that "rather than debilitating offline activism, these scholars argue, Internet technology has enabled a 'critical periphery' of participants who do not, and might never, engage in the same ways as those who participate in both on and offline actions, but via entre into social movement conversations online members of this periphery serve as important promulgators of activist messages to new networks." Jackson also mentions how online activism has made acts of activism easier for those who are physically disabled, as offline activism had essentially excluded this community.

---

Looking into the Me Too Movement, it is clear to see the movement had become a widespread internet phenomenon, most commonly being promoted through the hashtag #MeToo. Considering the internet is a place where people can easily share their stories and express their freedom of speech, the topic of sexual assault has been brought to light a lot more as survivors are coming out with their experiences. The hashtag has been trending on practically every social media platform, and considering how much on an impact the internet has on our daily lives, practically everybody is bound to hear about it, meaning change can be made through online activism.

The Me Too Movement started solely as an online phenomenon, specifically on the day actress Alyssa Milano tweeted this:

This tweet may have encouraged what could be seen as "slacktivism", asking SA survivors to simply respond with "me too", but this tweet has made much more of an impact than what is initially seen on the surface. Ever since this tweet, the hashtag went viral, and has gone on to encourage both social change and political change.