Activism or slacktivism?

Abstract

Online activism can be expressed through many forms. While advocates claim that it is a fully-fledged form of activism, opponents state that it is no more than vain ‘slacktivism’. Against this background, this work analyses the ‘#ChallengeAccepted’ movement, which went ‘viral’ in July 2020 to raise awareness about femi(ni)cides in Turkey, in the aftermath of the murder of the female student Pinar Gültekin. Focusing on the use of the hashtag via Twitter, the work embraces the perspective of online activism as a “continuum of participation”, composed of several levels. The results show how hashtag activism has worked as a means of knowledge dissemination and action, and that also slacktivism has contributed to the cause, thanks to the “oxygen of amplification” effect, which made users inform and get informed, refocus the campaign towards its original purpose when it digressed, and distribute its message.