Less Clicktivizm, more. . . .

Finally, someone's saying it out loud, what we all think when we get a request to sign the 5000th online petition to end the war in Afghanistan, or support gay marriage, or protest the border wall or . . .  fill in the cause du jour here__________.  Micah White calls out not only the futility inherent in online "Clicktivism" in his recent article in the Guardian, but also explains how the combined passivity and ineffectualness of this new form of engagement based on marketing principles actually damages social movements and alienates new activists:

"The truth is that as the novelty of online activism wears off, millions of formerly socially engaged individuals who trusted digital organisations are coming away believing in the impotence of all forms of activism. Even leading Bay Area clicktivist organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to motivate their members to any action whatsoever. . .  . The Clicktivists are to blame for alienating a generation of would-be activists with their ineffectual campaigns that resemble marketing."

Today's antidote to Clicktivism?  A protest flash mob performs an impromptu musical number in a Seattle-area Target.  Hope it inspires you to go beyond clicks and petitions and boycotts.