Just Liking A Cause Doesn't Help: Internet Slacktivism Harms Charities
Changing your Facebook profile picture, wearing a pink ribbon or signing an online petition isn't going to change the world. Actually, it's probably making the social campaign of your choice worse off, according to a study out from the University of British Columbia. Slacktivism, defined in the paper as a "willingness to perform a relatively costless, token display of support for a social cause, with an accompanying lack of willingness to devote significant effort to enact meaningful change," is alive and well. The study, online in the Journal of Consumer Research, looked at a total of just over 500 people in five different tests. Both in the lab and on the street, people were asked to engage in some sort of free support for a cause, like joining a Facebook group or wearing a pin. The researchers found that more public displays of endorsement made people less likely to volunteer their...