Online religious experience. Online religious conversion. Online proselytizing. Online activism, or better known as 'slacktivism'. This week's lecture highlighted issues on the authenticity of online religiosity. The internet has connected the world, it enables us to not only communicate with others far away, but also serves as a platform for campaigning, conversion, activism.
Slacktivism, is the term coined for activists who operate exclusively on the internet. The colloquialisms came about from said activists seen to be lazy and not making any real difference from their armchairs. Are keyboard warriors completely useless though? I think not. In order to raise awareness and harness support for some issues, the internet can be a powerful tool and using the internet as a platform also engages the youth of today.
However what about situations like KONY2012, where Uganda has been in a state of peace for six years and the tyrant has long since fled? What does the 'tres chic' KONY movement accomplish, besides dredging up a dark past for the survivors of trauma? Clearly slacktivism needs to be examined on a case by case basis. Motives are a factor also. Money, power, politics.
Similar discourse occurs within online religion, with many believers who are purely online worshipers and preachers being labeled as lazy, inauthentic and phonies. I agree that believers who already have a strong physical peer group can enhance that with online tools as well, but what about pure online faith? I think the sense of community and physical atmosphere is a necessity for transcendence.
Below is a video I made for a course at UQ and to campaign against child labour. i call this 'vacktivism'. Video activism.
Photo
http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=1377963
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6au1oV4YMAU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTxtLG7TWxs
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