Clicktivism refers to the use of social media for promoting causes, providing significant opportunities for awareness and engagement. While individual campaigns like #BringBackOurGirls highlight challenges, successful examples such as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and UNICEF Tap Project demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating online activism with larger campaigns. Key strategies for success include pairing online actions with tangible results and fostering personal engagement to create a meaningful impact.

1. Clicktivism: The Next
Stage in Social Activism
How to properly utilize the new era of
Hyperconnectivity
By: Cory Turk
Photo by: Radek
Grzybowski

2. Or Social Media Activism
on its own does not
promote real change but
relevant Social Media
Activism coupled with a
larger campaign, can lead
to effective results.
Photo by: William Iven
2

3. 1. What is Clicktivism and
why it’s beneficial
2. Failed Attempts
3. Success Stories
4. Tips for Success
Photo by: NASA 3

4. 4
Part 1: What is Clicktivism?
Photo by: José Martin

5. Clicktivism is the use of
social media and other
online methods to
promote a cause
Photo by: Mario Purisic 5
[1]

6. 1. What is Clicktivism
2. Failed Attempts
3. Success Stories
4. Tips for Success
We live in a world of
overexposure, where
we are unable to
properly pay
attention to one thing
for an extended
period of time
Photo by: Matthew Brodeur 6
[2]
Why is it Beneficial?

7. 1. What is Clicktivism
2. Failed Attempts
3. Success Stories
4. Tips for Success
“It takes seven to eight
exposures, on average, to
motivate someone to take
action. So any help with
awareness is a boon.”
Photo by: Gilles Lambert 7
[2]

8. “The goal of clicktivism
isn’t to solve problems;
it’s to bring awareness to
a cause that we
otherwise wouldn’t know
about.”
Photo by: Marc-André
Julien
8
[2]

9. people are on social
media. That’s roughly 7
times the population of
The United States. This
number increases by
roughly 10 million a
year.
Photo by: Jakob Owens 9
There are roughly
2.22 Billion people
on social media.
That’s roughly 7
times the
population of The
United States. This
number increases
by roughly 10
million a year.
[4]
[3]

10. As More and more people turn
towards social media. There is
an opportunity to spread
messages and ideas about
causes that would have been
previously impossible to spread
to the masses.
Photo by: Kai Oberhäuser
10

11. 11
“The real power of social
media, compared to passive
mass media, is that they can
be used by any person or
self-organizing group for a
common goal.”
Be warned, you have to be careful how you go about your
cause, or nothing may happen!Photo by: William
Iven
[5]

12. Photo by: Cory Turk 12

13. was a social media
campaign designed to raise
awareness over the
kidnapping of 276 girls in
Nigeria by terrorist group
Boko Haram. 58 of them
escaped, 218 are still
missing.
Photo by: TWITTER/@FLOTUS
HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/FLOTUS/MEDIA
13
[6]

14. 3 millionretweets were
sent using this hashtag.
Worldwide attention was
on these girls but Boko
Haram, was not going to
respect political pressure.
#BringBackOurGirls got
worldwide attention but
was not structured to
succeed since they were
targeting an unrealistic
goal.
“One year ago the world stood with a
small Nigerian community to demand
authorities “bring back our girls.” Today,
there may be no one to bring back.”
Photo by: Neil Thomas 14
[7]
[7]

15. The ALS Ice Bucket
Challenge and the UNICEF
Tap Project both properly
utilized clicktivism by
incorporating a larger
campaign that was tailored
towards individual
contribution and overall
tangible success.
Photo by: Olu Eletu 15

16. Was a social media campaign
that received worldwide
recognition and got numerous
celebrity endorsements. The
challenge was to get people to
either dump a bucket of ice
water on their heads or
donate $100.
Photo by: Elise Amendola Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2014/08/19/think-
the-ice-bucket-challenge-is-stupid-youre-wrong/#37d7461839b0
16
[2]

17. The ALS ice bucket challenge
raised tremendous amounts of
money. 15.6 millionfrom July 29
– August 18 Alone! 800% over
what was raised in the same
period last year.
ALS’ achieved greatsuccess
because they were able to involve
everyone individually and offer a
tangible and fun contribution
that helped a noble cause and
took the social media world by
storm
“The ice bucket challenge is raising
awareness by being inclusive, fun,
humorous, and touching. It is a true viral
offline/online campaign, and a great
blueprint for other nonprofits to follow.”
Photo by: Fabian Blank
17
[2]
[2]

18. Was a social media
campaign that raised
money by people being
unplugged. The more time
people stayed off their
devices, the more money
donated to clean water
projects. Fifteen minutes of
“digital detox” lead to a
day’s supply of clean water.
Photo by: Scott Umstattd
18
[8]

19. In 2014, 2.6 millionUNICEF
Tap Project participants from
around the world generated
more than a milliondollars.
Over 350,000 referrals to the
site were sent on Facebook.
success can be credited to a
cool approach to clicktivism
by encouraging people to
turn off social media. The
campaign was paired with
corporate sponsors, tangible
results, and a larger cause,
led people to feel their
individual contributions were
making a real difference
Photo by: Matthew
Brodeur
19
[8]

20. Part 4:
Tips for success
Photo by: Mari Pi 20

21. 1. Pair online task or challenge with a much larger
ongoing campgin. real
Photo by: Stuart Vivier
21
[9]
1. Pair online activism with a
larger ongoing campaign.
Real world issues resonate
with people and tend to
grab their attention!
2. Promote a cause that can
lead to an actual result.
spreading awareness is
great but if you want
change, the results need to
be achievable.
3. 60% of Clictivists have
expressed their opinion on
a political issue by writing
emails to government or
signing a petition. Any
cause can be impactful,
find one you are passionate
about and go for it!

22. As with any stand-­alone action, a petition cannot sustain a
campaign by itself and is unlikely to create change. But
coupled with offline actions, media, and grassroots
activism, a petition can bring new voices into a
campaign and cause effective results
Final Thoughts
Photo by: Dino Reichmuth
22
[10] [11]

23. 1. Prosser, Nate. "What Is Clicktivism." Clicktivist - Digital Campaigning One Click at a Time.
Web. 01 June 2016. <http://www.clicktivist.org/what-is-clicktivism/>. Continous blog with
no date
2. Sharma, Ritu. "Stop Pouring Ice on Clicktivism." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Aug. 2014. Web. 03 June 2016.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ritusharma/stop-pouring-ice-on-click_b_5692555.html>.
3. "Number of Worldwide Social Network Users 2010-2019 | Statistic." Statista. Web. 02 June
2016. <http://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-
users/>.
4. "Countries in the World by Population (2016)." Worldometers. United Nations, Department
of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2015. Web. 01 June 2016.
<http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/>.
5. Bresciani, Sabrina, and Andreas Schmeil. "Social Media Platforms for Social Good." 2012
6th IEEE International Conference on Digital Ecosystems and Technologies (DEST). June
2012. Web. 02 June 2016.
<http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.proxy.queensu.ca/xpls/icp.jsp?arnumber=6227944>.
6. "Bring Back Our Girls." Bring Back Our Girls Now. 2014. Web. 01 June 2016.
<http://www.bringbackourgirls.ng>. continuously updated blog 23

24. 7. Kielburger, Craig, and Marc Kielburger. "A Click Is Not Enough to Have Impact on World."
Canoe.com. 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 June 2016.
<http://cnews.canoe.com/CNEWS/World/2015/04/10/22337541.html>.
8. Stern, Caryl M. "In Praise of Clicktivism." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 31
Mar. 2015. Web. 03 June 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caryl-m-stern/in-praise-of-
clicktivism_b_6978314.html>.
9. Xie, Jenny. "Pew: Online Political Activism Grows, But ‘Slacktivism’ Problem Remains." Pew:
Online Political Activism Grows, But ‘Slacktivism’ Problem Remains. Web. 03 June 2016.
<http://mediashift.org/2013/05/pew-online-political-activity-is-growing-but-slacktivism-
and-class-related-gaps-loom/>. no published date
10. Dewey, Caitlin. "How Facebook Knows Who All Your Friends Are, Even Better than You Do."
Washington Post. The Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 03 June 2016.
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/04/02/how-facebook-
knows-who-all-your-friends-are-even-better-than-you-do/?wprss=rss_technology>.
11. Moore, Garth. "When Clicking Counts: In Defense of Slacktivism and Clicktivism." ONE. 03
May 2012. Web. 03 June 2016. <https://www.one.org/us/2012/05/03/when-clicking-counts-
in-defense-of-slacktivism-and-clicktivism/>.
12. Each photo is from www.UnSplash.com , every photographer is credited on their photo. (unless
stated otherwise)
24