Social Media and Slacktivism in Young People’s Life

© Media Watch 11 (3) 515-524, 2020

ISSN 0976-0911 | e-ISSN 2249-8818

DOI: 10.15655/mw/2020/v11i3/202950

 

Social Media and Slacktivism in Young People’s Life

 

Ulbossyn M. Yessenbekova

L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan

 

Abstract

This study examined such issues as social media in personality development and their influence on the development of public activism among young people. We also estimate the efficiency that various forms of information exchange have (shared or anonymous). The empirical base of the research includes sociological surveys held in Kazakhstan. We did a content analysis of frequently visited profile social media pages. The study found that the people who openly share on social media are more inclined to real-life engagement in public campaigns. Vice versa, anonymous support to the measures that are valuable to the community makes inclination of users to following real-life behaviors less likely. We believe that the social activism of young people should not only be targeted at an individual but must also serve the interests of governments and those of society. Overall, the Internet and online communities play a positive role in decision making on challenges in society and among young people.

 

Keywords:             Slacktivism, social media, online activism, young people, politics, political activity, cultural perception, social groups, information society.

 

References 

 

AlDajani I.M. (2020). Internet Communication Technology (ICT) in Social Transformation. In: Internet Communication Technology (ICT) for Reconciliation. Lecture Notes in Social Networks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41203-6_4

Ali, S., Asghar, A., & Mamoon, D. (2017). Political activism in generation Y: A global phenomenon. Journal of Eurasian Social Dialogue, 2(2), 9–18.

Awan, I. (2017). Cyber-Extremism: Isis and the Power of Social Media. Soc 54, 138–149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-017-0114-0

Bailo, F. (2020). Online Communities and Online Crowds. In: Online Communities and Crowds in the Rise of the Five Star Movement. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45508-8_4

Beamish, A. (1995). Communities online: community-based computer networks (Unpublished master’s thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Bimber, B. (1998). The Internet and political transformation: populism, community, and accelerated pluralism. Polity, 30(1), 133-160. https://doi.org/10.2307/3235370

Bondarenko, C.B. (2004). The social structure of online communities (Doctoral thesis). Available fromDisserCat Dissertations and Theses database. (Accessed on July 27, 2020)

Boyd, D.M., & Ellison, N.B. (2007). Social network sites: definition, history, and scholarship. J. Comput.-Mediat. Commun., 13(1), 210-230. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x

Bradbury, S.L., Dubow, E.F. & Domoff, S.E. (2018). How do Adolescents Learn Cyber-victimization Coping Skills? An Examination of Parent and Peer Coping Socialization. J Youth Adolescence 47, 1866–1879. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0812-y

Campanelli, V. (2010). Web aesthetics: How digital media affect culture and society. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures. 

Castells, M. (2010). End of millennium, the information age: economy, society, and culture. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. 

Castells, Ì. (2016). Communication power. Moscow: Izd. Dom Vysshey Shkoly Ekonomiki. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444323436

Chernova, V.Y., Tretyakova, O.V, & Vlasov, A.I. (2018). Brand marketing trends in Russian social media. Media Watch, 9(3), 397–409. https://doi.org/10.15655/mw/2018/v9i3/49478

de Mooij, M. (2014). Media Behavior and Culture. In: Human and Mediated Communication around the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01249-0_8

Dubinina I.I., Gulyaeva E.V., Kompaneeva L.G. (2020). Conceptual Content of Digital Society. In: Popkova E., Sergi B. (eds) Artificial Intelligence: Anthropogenic Nature vs. Social Origin. ISC Conference – Volgograd 2020. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1100. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39319-9_5

Ermakova L., Sukhovskaya D. (2020). Value Orientations of the Information Society in the Context of the Information Revolution of the 21st Century. In: Popkova E. (eds) Growth Poles of the Global Economy: Emergence, Changes, and Future Perspectives. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 73. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15160-7_58

Fu J. (2019). Prefigurative Politics in Chinese Young People’s Online Social Participation. In: Cuervo H., Miranda A. (eds) Youth, Inequality and Social Change in the Global South. Perspectives on Children and Young People, vol 6. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3750-5_17

Gordilov, A.B. (2011). Online communication and the problem of self-regulation of information and communication behaviour of an individual in the Internet communities. Retrieved from https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=17277185

Goswami A., Kumar A. (2019). Online Social Communities. In: Patnaik S., Yang XS., Tavana M., Popentiu-Vlãdicescu F., Qiao F. (eds) Digital Business. Lecture Notes on Data Engineering and Communications Technologies, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93940-7_13

Graham, G. (1999). The Internet: a philosophical inquiry. London & New York: Routledge. 

Hagel, J., & Armstrong, A.G. (1998). Net gain: expanding markets through virtual communities. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press. 

Hanna B.E., de Nooy J. (2009). Culture and Online Communication. In: Learning Language and Culture via Public Internet Discussion Forums. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230235823_2

He W. (2017). Resistance to Regulation: Group Behavior and Culture in Networked Public Communication. In: Networked Public. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47779-3_6

Isabaeva, S. (2012). At the keyboard, we are all brave. Retrieved from https://camonitor.kz/2904-.html.

Izmestieva, E. (2015, June 8). Slacktivism: how likes and reposts can solve social problems. Retrieved from te-st.ru/2015/06/08/slacktivism.

Kim, A.J., (2000). Community building on the Web: secret strategies for successful online communities. Berkeley: Peachpit Press. 

Kogel, A.S., Fomichev, I.A., & Bortnikov, N.A. (2017). Slacktivism as a form of political demobilization. Scientific community of the 21st century students. Social sciences: Collected papers of the 6 International Student Scientific and Practice Conference, 8(55), 21-26. Retrieved from https://sibac.info/archive/social/8(55).pdf.

Liu X. (2020). Application of the Internet Technology in the Visual Communication Design. In: Atiquzzaman M., Yen N., Xu Z. (eds) Big Data Analytics for Cyber-Physical System in Smart City. BDCPS 2019. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 1117. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2568-1_239

Lovink, G. (2015). The world beyond Facebook. Nepreryvnoye Obrazovaniye: XXIVvek, 2(10), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.15393/j5.art.2015.2810

Markov, B.V. (2000). Democracy and the Internet. Information Society, 6, 43-46.

Matyasik, M. (2014). Secure sustainable development: Impact of social media on political and social crises. Journal of Security and Sustainability Issues, 4(1), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.9770/jssi.2014.4.1(1)

Miroshnichenko N.V., Nedvizhay S.V., Ponomareva E.A., Skiperskaya E.V., Kharchenko N.P. (2019). Managerial and Economic & Legal Aspects of Information Society Development. In: Popkova E., Ostrovskaya V. (eds) Perspectives on the Use of New Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Modern Economy. ISC 2017. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 726. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90835-9_44

Montgomery K., Gottlieb-Robles B., & Larson, G.O. (2004). Youth as e-citizens: engaging the digital generation. Retrieved from https://circle.tufts.edu.

Moreno, J.L. (2004). Sociometry: an experimental method and the science of society. Moscow: Akad. proyekt. 

Osler, L. (2020). Feeling togetherness online: a phenomenological sketch of online communal experiences. Phenom Cogn Sci 19, 569–588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-019-09627-4

Piccolo, L.S.G., Pereira, R. (2019). Culture-based artefacts to inform ICT design: foundations and practice. A.I. & Soc 34, 437–453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-017-0743-2

Piwowarski, J. (2020). Information Society and the Protective Influence of Security Culture. In: Ramírez J., Biziewski J. (eds) A Shift in the Security Paradigm. Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43253-9_13

Pleshakov, V.A. (2010a). Cyber socialization: social development and social education of a modern person. Bulletin of the Kostroma State University. Series: Pedagogy. Psychology. Sociokinetics, 16 (2), 15-18.

Pleshakov, V.A. (2010b). Cyberontology and security psychology of the information sphere: the aspect of human cyber socialization in social networks of the Internet environment. Bulletin of the Orthodox St. Tikhon University for the Humanities. Series 4: Pedagogy. Psychology, (19), 131-141. 

Raibaeva, A. (2012, February 20). Civic activity in Kaznet: to be or not to be? Retrieved from https://profit.kz/news/8275/Bit-ili-ne-bit-grazhdanskoj-aktivnosti-v-Kaznete.

Rheingold, H. (2002). Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution.

Rimsky, V.L. (2009). The impact of the Internet on social activism, formation, and development of identities. Vestnik Obshchestvennogo Mneniya, 1, 85-97.

Shirky, Ñ. (2011). Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators. Penguin Books.

Shishaev M., Fedorov A., Datyev I. (2020). Analysis of Online Social Networking When Studying the Identities of Local Communities. In: Salminen M., Zojer G., Hossain K. (eds) Digitalisation and Human Security. New Security Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48070-7_10

Šišulák, S., 2017. User focus – tool for criminality control of social networks at both the local and international level. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 5(2), 297-314. https://doi.org/10.9770/jesi.2017.5.2(10)

Tilley, C.M., Bruce, C.S., Hallam, G., & Hills, A.P. (2006). A model for the development of virtual communities for people with long-term, severe physical disabilities. Information Research, 11(3). Retrieved from http://informationr.net/ir/11-3/paper253.html

Toffler, A. (2004). The third wave. Retrieved from https://gtmarket.ru/laboratory/basis/4821.

Wang, M., Guo, J. & Degol, J.L. (2019). The Role of Sociocultural Factors in Student Achievement Motivation: A Cross-Cultural Review. Adolescent Res Rev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-019-00124-y

Weidman J.C. (2020). Conceptualizing Student Socialization in Higher Education: An Intellectual Journey. In: Weidman J., DeAngelo L. (eds) Socialization in Higher Education and the Early Career. Knowledge Studies in Higher Education, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33350-8_2

Wellman, B., & Hampton, K. (2003). Neighboring in Netville: How the Internet supports community and social capital in a wired suburb. City & Community, 2(4), 279-311. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1535-6841.2003.00057.x

Wenger, E. (2008). Communities of practice. Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge, Univ. Press. 

Yessenbekova, U.M. (2015). Role of media culture in national historical preservation. Social Sciences, 10(8), 2199-2205. https://doi.org/10.3923/sscience.2015.2199.2205

Yessenbekova, U.M. (2016). Promotion of national traditions by Kazakhstan mass media as a means of ideological influence. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 9(9), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2016/v9i9/86600

Yessenbekova, U.M. (2018a). Television in the development of information society culture in Kazakhstan. Media Watch, 9(3), 411-417.https://doi.org/10.15655/mw/2018/v9i3/49498

Yessenbekova, U.M. (2018b). Transformation of the functions of Kazakhstan television in the information society. Media Watch, 9(2), 203-208. https://doi.org/10.15655/mw/2018/v9i2/49387

Yessenbekova, U.M., Turzhan, O.I., Koshanova, K.A., Yegemberdiyev, I.D., & Kutym, B.K. (2020). Role of media in addressing the socialization problems of the younger generation: The case of Kazakhstan. Media Watch, 11(2), 348-355. https://doi.org/10.15655/mw/2020/v11i2/195659

 

Ulbossyn M. Yessenbekova is an acting professor in the Department of Teleradio and Public Relations at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Republic of Kazakhstan. Her research interest is the scientific direction of media such as trends in the development of modern mass communications, humans in the information society.