Slacktivism
A friend put up a link to a marvellous (& somewhat dry) blog regarding hyped up 'breast cancer awareness' games on FB - i.e. the ones where you post something obscure which is to refer to your handbag/underwear colour or sexual preference (this somehow expected to mysteriously affect men so much they'll want to engage in the cause... surely? although men don't even pay attention to their own testicular cancer, which understandably would/should be more important for them).
But this post is on the surfaced word 'slacktivism' =
"describes "feel-good" measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little or no practical effect other than to make the person doing it feel satisfaction. The acts tend to require minimal personal effort from the slacktivist."
I am without doubt guilty of this... Was I always guilty of this? Yes. I had spells of giving money to Greenpeace & vague intentions to be active in Amnesty (but never did). My active involvement has been giving money, signing petitions, spreading the word about petitions &… nothing more. But in that there are two strong factors: I have serious, personal doubts marching has any effect. Secondly: I really, really sincerely, hand on heart, absolutely honestly, have no time. When work stresses you so much you have heart palpitations (as it did two years ago), then it is somehow hard to find time to be involved in someone’s dire situation in a distant country elsewhere, even though I fully well know their situation is much much worse than mine... It's not that I don’t understand my problems are paltry in comparison - it’s that all of my to-do/ to-prepare-for wraps me up nevertheless. And the little left is time I need as down time, slacker time, thinking/digesting time. Perhaps if I felt I could have a true effect, that it wasn’t a pouring into the bottomless well of cyclic unevolved humanity (be it human slavery, torture & abuse/usage etc), it would be different? Homing a homeless cat = that's hands on, something I can do, giving instant result (granted: I want a cat so we're not really talking a sacrifice here..)
But they are all excuses - it’s the endlessness of causes that deters the most. The non stop misuse and outer world coldness that exhausts the soul; just reading makes your heart tired & ready to drop out of the chest.
At the same time though: you can sort of marvel at people who can’t even find the energy to put a signature to a web petition. Granted, perhaps not every day, but surely, once a week the two minute process cannot cost that much? And with the change of heart on the forest sale, it does seem to occasionally have a true effect.
Upon which: this link is to a cause close to my heart ~ bear bile milking. Please sign if willing to; bears have not only been killed as trophes far more than for the need of meat, but also been for centuries made to dance, fight & wilt away in cages for our entertainment. But sign it mostly because China is likely to care more & more about its image in the world now - so this is a good time & place to say no. The upswing of Chinese traditional medicin is harvesting the body parts of every rare breed left on the planet. These are petitions we can’t afford not to sign as the newly rich/middle class of China cries out for luxury goods & mythical fix it all drugs. If we don't they'll continue treating animals of this earth as theirs alone to harvest.
'Slacktivism' it is - yes - but sincerely: it's better than nothing.
Seriously & lovingly yours ~ Anki Wikman.
Ps. I am, btw, so not getting into my Lycos email account currently, so hold off emails to me this week.
But this post is on the surfaced word 'slacktivism' =
"describes "feel-good" measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little or no practical effect other than to make the person doing it feel satisfaction. The acts tend to require minimal personal effort from the slacktivist."
I am without doubt guilty of this... Was I always guilty of this? Yes. I had spells of giving money to Greenpeace & vague intentions to be active in Amnesty (but never did). My active involvement has been giving money, signing petitions, spreading the word about petitions &… nothing more. But in that there are two strong factors: I have serious, personal doubts marching has any effect. Secondly: I really, really sincerely, hand on heart, absolutely honestly, have no time. When work stresses you so much you have heart palpitations (as it did two years ago), then it is somehow hard to find time to be involved in someone’s dire situation in a distant country elsewhere, even though I fully well know their situation is much much worse than mine... It's not that I don’t understand my problems are paltry in comparison - it’s that all of my to-do/ to-prepare-for wraps me up nevertheless. And the little left is time I need as down time, slacker time, thinking/digesting time. Perhaps if I felt I could have a true effect, that it wasn’t a pouring into the bottomless well of cyclic unevolved humanity (be it human slavery, torture & abuse/usage etc), it would be different? Homing a homeless cat = that's hands on, something I can do, giving instant result (granted: I want a cat so we're not really talking a sacrifice here..)
But they are all excuses - it’s the endlessness of causes that deters the most. The non stop misuse and outer world coldness that exhausts the soul; just reading makes your heart tired & ready to drop out of the chest.
At the same time though: you can sort of marvel at people who can’t even find the energy to put a signature to a web petition. Granted, perhaps not every day, but surely, once a week the two minute process cannot cost that much? And with the change of heart on the forest sale, it does seem to occasionally have a true effect.
Upon which: this link is to a cause close to my heart ~ bear bile milking. Please sign if willing to; bears have not only been killed as trophes far more than for the need of meat, but also been for centuries made to dance, fight & wilt away in cages for our entertainment. But sign it mostly because China is likely to care more & more about its image in the world now - so this is a good time & place to say no. The upswing of Chinese traditional medicin is harvesting the body parts of every rare breed left on the planet. These are petitions we can’t afford not to sign as the newly rich/middle class of China cries out for luxury goods & mythical fix it all drugs. If we don't they'll continue treating animals of this earth as theirs alone to harvest.
'Slacktivism' it is - yes - but sincerely: it's better than nothing.
Seriously & lovingly yours ~ Anki Wikman.
Ps. I am, btw, so not getting into my Lycos email account currently, so hold off emails to me this week.