Gabrielle Gesilva | De La Salle University (original) (raw)
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Digital activism is the practice of political and social campaigning in digital infrastructures. ... more Digital activism is the practice of political and social campaigning in digital infrastructures. Along with technology, social media platforms have been of help in forwarding the advocacies of digital activists because of its ability to increase the speed, reach, and effectivity of communication and mobilization. In this paper, the researchers investigated the experiences of youth digital activists, as well as how they perceived the effectivity of these social media platforms in contributing to real-life change. In this qualitative study following a descriptive research design, all responses from the interviews were transcribed and analyzed through a thematic analysis. The researchers were able to answer these questions by conducting interviews with eight chosen participants who fit the qualifications for the study. They were able to form a total of twelve (12) themes to answer the question of what the youth digital activists' experiences and perceptions are. Results suggest that the youth digital activists have distinct and similar experiences to one another regarding digital activism and their perception of how effective online platforms are in implementing real change, such as posting content to forward their advocacies and receiving online interactions, and the belief in online platforms' ability reach a wider audience conveniently. However, the respondents' perceived effectivity of digital activism is insufficient in terms of contributing to real-life change. For them, digital activism should be accompanied by off-ground activism in order to bring real-life change.
Digital activism is the practice of political and social campaigning in digital infrastructures. ... more Digital activism is the practice of political and social campaigning in digital infrastructures. Along with technology, social media platforms have been of help in forwarding the advocacies of digital activists because of its ability to increase the speed, reach, and effectivity of communication and mobilization. In this paper, the researchers investigated the experiences of youth digital activists, as well as how they perceived the effectivity of these social media platforms in contributing to real-life change. In this qualitative study following a descriptive research design, all responses from the interviews were transcribed and analyzed through a thematic analysis. The researchers were able to answer these questions by conducting interviews with eight chosen participants who fit the qualifications for the study. They were able to form a total of twelve (12) themes to answer the question of what the youth digital activists' experiences and perceptions are. Results suggest that the youth digital activists have distinct and similar experiences to one another regarding digital activism and their perception of how effective online platforms are in implementing real change, such as posting content to forward their advocacies and receiving online interactions, and the belief in online platforms' ability reach a wider audience conveniently. However, the respondents' perceived effectivity of digital activism is insufficient in terms of contributing to real-life change. For them, digital activism should be accompanied by off-ground activism in order to bring real-life change.