Cyber-activism on social media, such as liking and sharing posts about social causes, is often motivated by self-interest and a desire to look good to others rather than pure altruism. While people may think they are helping social issues online, research shows they are less likely to donate or get involved in real-life actions. True altruism requires going beyond just online engagement to participate directly in causes through organizing or attending events in the real world.

1. Photo by iLifeinicity - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/36222488@N02
Created with Haiku Deck
warm-GLOW giving,
ENCOURAGES IMPURE ALTRUISM
AND HOW cyber-activism
By Colleen Yau

2. “cyber-activism”
Is the use of digital
social causes.
Communication technologies,
Such as social media,
Eg. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge,
#bringbackourgirls
To support and advance
Photo by Jonathan Caves - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/19508046@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
(12)

3. Photo by Jason A. Howie - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/40493340@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
On Social media makes it easy
Social
Social
issues,
without
taking
issues. We do not have to leave
effort, or make any real action.
However, cyber-activism
To ”appear” engaged in social
our computers, put much (12)

4. Photo by llauren - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/96715224@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
Cone communications found that
among 1200 Americans, 70%
social issues and how to create positive social change offline,
Say they use digital media to learn ABOUT
But only 25%followed through in
real life.
(10)

5. Photo by luluv1 - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/57265990@N08
Created with Haiku Deck
Why
is there
No action
In real life
cyber activism on social media,
such as “liking” and “sharing”
social causes and donations,
is often motivated
by self-interest, known
As warm-glow giving,
”
“
Eg. boosting self esteem.
(1)
(14)

6. Photo by Book Worm Laser & Design - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/70385851@N03
Created with Haiku Deck
“SOcial media has made us
Oxford University Internet Institute
think more about ourselves.”
- Dr. Bernie Hogan,
(9)

7. Photo by ** RCB ** - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/29233640@N07
Created with Haiku Deck
our self esteem is based on
public contingencies ,
Such as others’ approval
Andoutdoing competition.
(4)

8. Photo by owenwbrown - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/42673922@N03
Created with Haiku Deck
We”like” and
“share” social
Issues on
As a Way of
Social media
presenting
A good side
Of ourselves for
Others to see
And approve.
(11)
(9)

9. Photo by Nicola since 1972 - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/15216811@N06
Created with Haiku Deck
“social sharing of information is
Sharing Information. It’s about the sharer
letting everyone know that
they are knowledgeable or
right-thinking or caring.”
often not actually about
– Katherine Connell
(2)

10. Photo by west.m - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/35983665@N08
Created with Haiku Deck
Marco Castillo et al
Found that
individuals who make a donation
To charity are more likely to share
This event through a general Facebook wall post,
rather than direct message,
And larger donations increase the willingness
to share this event on Facebook by 4%.
(1)

11. Photo by owenwbrown - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/42673922@N03
Created with Haiku Deck
We”like” and
“share” social
Issues on
As a form of
Social media
Social
To look better
than Others, and
Outdo
Competition.
comparison
(4)
(8)

12. Photo by tj.blackwell - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/8185633@N07
Created with Haiku Deck
“Humans are naturally competitive.”
- Christine Erickson
(4)

13. Photo by NoWin - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/82418181@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
Croson and Sheng Found
that donors who were told that another
member had donated $300, would give
29% more than those donors who
who were not given this information.
(3)

14. Photo by west.m - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/35983665@N08
Created with Haiku Deck
However, if our cyber-activism is
is motivated by warm-glow giving
then cyber-activism can
Encourage impure altruism.
And boosting self esteem,

15. Photo by crdotx - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/56858900@N03
Created with Haiku Deck
is the selfless concern
Altruism is
for the welfare of others.
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
(6)
Pure

16. Photo by coincoyote - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/32327350@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
But when we attribute our
warm-glow giving and self-interested
cyber activism as pure altruism, we
Mistakenly view ourselves as
altruistic.

17. Photo by GregPC - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/55236839@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
“I share, therefore I am.”
- Sherry Turkle
(13)

18. Photo by Tom Raftery - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/67945918@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
“I “share” and “Tweet”
and “like” and “donate”
to social causes online,
therefore I am altruistic.
Similarly,
I have contributed enough to the cause.

19. Photo by escapedtowisconsin - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/69805768@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
University of British Columbia found that
likely to donate to that cause.
people who “liked” a cause
on Facebook were less
(7)

20. Photo by Anonymous9000 - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/25414324@N02
Created with Haiku Deck
we think we have displayed
online.
Pure altruism and done our part
by simply being engaged
Why?
(2)

21. Photo by Artotem - Creative Commons Attribution License https://www.flickr.com/photos/27698646@N04
Created with Haiku Deck
“In their minds, they
have already contributed to
the cause.”
- Scott Gilmore
(7)

22. Photo by Michael Fleshman - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/60513726@N03
Created with Haiku Deck
DOMINATED SOCIAL MEDIA and conversation
Activists in Nigeria Tried to reignite the trend
However, there was littleinterest from
International news outlets, and
IN THE SPRING, but was gone by the summer. In October,
and create a worldwide week of action.
social media.
#BRINGBACKOURGIRLS
Consequently,
(10)

23. Photo by Robert S. Donovan - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License https://www.flickr.com/photos/10687935@N04
Created with Haiku Deck
Do not participate
In cyber-activism alone.
Actively seek out real life involvement,
Or even organize your own event.
Campaign with friends
therefore
(10)
(5)
(8)

24. Photo by veo_ - Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License https://www.flickr.com/photos/72018489@N00
Created with Haiku Deck
A click is not enough to have impact on the world.“ ”
Let’s encourage true altruism that
goes beyond social media.
(10)

25. (1) Castillo, M., Petrie, R., & Wardell, C. (2014). Fundraising through online social networks: A field experiment on peer-to-peer solicitation. Journal of Public Economics, 114,
29-35.
(2) Connell, K. (2014, April 25). The shallow selfishness of social media sharing. The Federalist. Retrieved from
http://thefederalist.com/2014/04/25/the-shallow-selfishness-of-social-media-sharing/
(3) Croson, R. & Sheng, J. (2009). A field experiment in charitable contribution: The impact of social information on the voluntary provision of public goods. The Economic
Journal, 119(540), 1422-1439
(4) Erikson, C. (2013, Feb. 15). The social psychology of the selfie. Mashable. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2013/02/15/social-media-and-the-selfie/
(5) Faw, L. (2012, Oct. 23). Are millennials lazy or avant-garde social activists? Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/larissafaw/2012/10/23/are-millennials-lazy-or-avant-garde-social-activists/
(6) Gershbein, J.D. (2014, Jan. 12). Altruism in social networking: Doing good deeds online. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jd-gershbein/altruism-in-social-networ_b_6249494.html
(7) Gilmore, S. (2014, Nov. 11). The problem with #slacktivism. Maclean’s. Retrieved from http://www.macleans.ca/society/the-real-problem-with-slacktivism/
(8) Harper, F., Li, S., Chen, Y., & Konstan, J. (2007). Social comparisons to motivate contributions to an online community. Persuasive Technology, 4744, 148-159
(9) Harvey, D. (2014, Jun 12). Has social media made young people more selfish? BBC. Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/27810059/has-social-media-made-young-people-more-selfish
(10) Kielburger, C., & Kielburger, M. (2015, April 10). A click is not enough to have impact on world. Canoe News. Retrieved from
http://cnews.canoe.com/CNEWS/World/2015/04/10/22337541.html
(11) Ma, W. & Chan, A. (2014). Knowledge sharing and social media: Altruism, perceived online attachment motivation, and perceived online relationship commitment.
Computers in Human Behavior, 39, 51-58.
(12) Stern, C. (2015, Mar. 31). In praise of clicktivism. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caryl-m-stern/in-praise-of-clicktivism_b_6978314.html
(13) Turkle, S. (2013, Dec. 15). The documented life. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/16/opinion/the-documented-life.html?_r=0
(14) Widdowson, N. (2014, May 20). Can social media increase altruism? Queensland University of Technology. Retrieved from
https://www.qut.edu.au/news/news?news-id=72817
WORKS CITED