'Tis the Season for Craptivism
With only seventeen days left until Christmas it’s safe to say that the holidays are here. And while I have yet to really start my Christmas shopping (ugh), I have started my holiday giving. Every December, like clockwork, I donate to a handful of specific charities. Why? Because I’m lucky enough to be able to. Because I have had experiences with these organizations and I know they put the money to good use. Because I want to help. To put it simply, it’s because I give a crap.
I’m an old-school craptivist.
Sadly, there aren’t a lot of true craptivists left these days.
Craptivism used to be about making a difference. It used to be about caring, sharing, giving, and then giving more. And not just money. Craptivists give their time, their expertise, their knowledge, and their kindness. They don’t care about rewards, or recognition, they don’t take no for an answer, and they don’t make excuses. They simply get things done.
But craptivism is changing. It’s becoming, well, crappy.
From Craptivism to Slacktivism
One of the main pillars of craptivism is action – doing something, anything, to spark change. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people are “doers” these days. We’ve become slackers instead of act-ers.
Welcome to the generation of slacktivists.
A relatively recent development, “slacktivism” refers to feel-good online activism that has absolutely no political or social impact. The act of participating in obviously pointless activities as an expedient alternative to actually expending effort to fix a problem, (definition care of the Urban Dictionary), slacktivism is how people show that they give a crap while successfully doing crap-all.
Why volunteer my time at a homeless shelter when I can simply add a Twibbon to my twitter profile image that shows how much I care about the less fortunate? Why bother standing in line to vote when I can share my political views online? Donate to the Movember campaign? I’d rather create a Facebook photo album chronicling the furrification of my face.
On the surface, people still care. They still give a crap, they just refuse to do crap about it. And while signing an online petition or changing your profile picture to reflect your support is great, it’s an easy out.
“But I’m helping advance the cause by sharing with my friends,” you say, “it’s about exposure.” But is it really? Look me in the eye and tell me that itty-bitty icon that shows you support outreach for hunger programming is more effective than dropping canned goods off at your local food bank.
Better yet, tell that to a mother who depends on the food bank to help feed her son.
You see, the thing about slacktivism is it’s selfish. It makes you feel good – but what about the people you’re suppose to be helping, the people you’re suppose to care so desperately about?
Now don’t get me wrong, some slacktivists are actually craptivists in disguise. According to The Dynamics of Cause Engagement study by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication and Ogilvy Worldwide shows slacktivists are often more likely to take meaningful action after participating in promotional social activity (check out this recent post from Mashable for more details on the study).
When all’s said and done, it doesn’t matter whether or not you participate in slacktivism. Giving a crap is what matters. Care, share, give, and then give again.
After all, ’tis the season for craptivism.
Craptivism can be easy. Click here to donate to the United Way of Chatham-Kent from the comfort of your couch.
