The document discusses how social media is used to promote causes and engage people in social activism. It provides several examples of successful social media campaigns that raised awareness for issues like the Kony 2012 campaign and a campaign at Queen's University that allowed anonymous compliments. While social media is effective for raising awareness, the document notes that campaigns must also lead to real-world actions and outcomes to create lasting change, not just online engagement, otherwise they risk being superficial. It concludes that social media is a powerful tool but must be used to encourage people to do more than just click or share online.

1. Image: noticelj,
Flickr
By: Sara
Cantanna

2. Image: Jason
Howie, Flickr

3. Images: Google Creative Commons

4. Image: Wikimedia Commons
Source: Digital Persuasion: Social Media Motivates People to
Contribute Beyond Clicks
“More than half of
digitally active,
cause-savvy
American adults
were likely to do
far more than
simply like a
cause”

5. Image: Sundaram Ramaswamy, FlickrSource: Digital Persuasion: Social Media Motivates People to
Contribute Beyond Clicks
“Engaging with
causes via social
media prompted
them to donate
money (68%),
donate personal
items or food
(52%), attend or
participate in an
event (43%), and
even volunteer
(53%)”

6. “With Facebook and Twitter and the like, the traditional
relationship between political authority and popular will has
been upended, making it easier for the powerless to
collaborate, coordinate, and give voice to their concerns”
Image: Aquila,
Flickr
Source: Creating Social Good via Social Media, One ‘Like’ at a Time

7. Image:
Afagen, Flickr
Source: How 3 Social Good Platforms are Building Change
Communities
“The idea of
enabling
people to do
good, simply
by building
upon their
current habits
is one of
amazing
potential”

8. People have the opportunity to
help out a cause simply by
going online
Image: Anonymous
Account, Flickr

9. Image: Dave Dugdale,
Flickr
Source: Oxford English Dictionary
Clicktivism is defined as the
use of social media and
other online methods to
promote a cause

10. “Clicktivism is doing a service for traditional
activism by piquing the interest of those who might
not otherwise have noticed a cause”
Image: Nathan Keirn,
Wikimedia Commons
Source: Clicktivism: A Model
for 21st Century Activism?

11. Image: Avakian,
Flickr
By now everyone has seen the video Kony 2012, or at
least has heard of it considering it went viral within
weeks of its release

12. Image: Jez
Yao, Flickr
Source: Kony 2012 Becomes Most Viral
Video in History

13. Source: Kony 2012 Becomes Most Viral Video in History
Image: Natalie, Flickr

14. While the Kony 2012 movement was not as successful as it
should have been, the amount of attention the campaign
received proves the success social media has in creating
awareness and prompting change
Image: Matt Wade,
Wikimedia
Commons

15. The ability to spread news of a
campaign and create an impact in such
a short period of time is incredible
Image: Julian
Lim, Flickr

16. A campaign called Queen’s U Compliments became a
success within weeks of its creation due to the ability to
share ideas over Facebook
Image: Simon, Google Creative Commons
Source: The anonymous compliment trend that got its start at
Queen’s

17. Queen’s U Compliments is a Facebook profile
created by various Queens’ students to give other
students the opportunity to anonymously
compliment others
Image: Ahmad Dhanie,
Flickr
Source: The anonymous compliment trend that got its start at
Queen’s

18. This campaign allows thousands of
Facebook users to brighten other
people’s day simply by sharing a
message
Image by: camdiluv Wikimedia
Commons

19. While Social media played a part in raising awareness of
these campaigns, it must also be recognized that additional
steps must be taken to ensure change is actually created
Image: Marcello
Casal, Wikimedia
Commons

20. “Social media is a strong platform
for raising awareness, [but] the
relationship between cause and
effect is defined by action,
regardless of medium”
Image: Adrian Paulino, Google Creative Commons
Source: Are Millennials Lazy Or Avant-
Garde Social Activists?

21. “Campaigns need to tie
online actions to specific,
on-going, and detailed
outcomes, otherwise they
are just participating as
personal avatars without
any actual involvement”
Image: Jamie Pichora, Flickr
Source: Are Millennials Lazy Or Avant-
Garde Social Activists?

22. So while the use of social media
has been incredible for
promoting and creating change,
we must remember to always try
to do more
Image: Steve
Spinks, Flickr

23. Works Cited:
1. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/blogs/thenextgreatgeneration/2011/12/creat
ing_social_good_via_socia.html
2. http://csic.georgetown.edu/370681.html
3. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericaswallow/2013/05/10/social-good-
platforms/2/
4. http://www.clicktivist.org/what-is-clicktivism/
5. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/cerian-jenkins/clicktivism-a-model-for-
2_b_2210340.html
6. http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/12/kony-2012-documentary-becomes-
most-viral-video-in-history/
7. http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/02/11/flattery-gets-you-everywhere/
8. http://www.forbes.com/sites/larissafaw/2012/10/23/are-millennials-lazy-or-
avant-garde-social-activists/