After reading the Washington Post article about "Click-through Activism," I was curious to find out what types of groups were currently popular on Facebook, and what kinds of causes they supported. In the process of browsing groups, I came across a group that mocks this "Click-through Activism" that is so common on Facebook.
The group is entitled, "An Arbitrary Number of People Demanding that Some Sort of Action Be Taken." Click HERE to view the page.
The description of the group is as follows:
"We Demand Immediate Action on This Crucial Issue!
If nothing is done then however many of us are in this group will be very displeased. We may even comment to express our anger, possibly with bad punctuation or spelling to further communicate our individual but quite possibly collective emotion.Something Must Be Done About This!"
I found this group, which has over 95,000 members (now including me) to be hilarious, mostly because of its accuracy in capturing the essence of most Facebook groups that claim to support a cause. With its satirical representation of a so-called "activist" Facebook group, this group brings up many of the problems and shortcomings of "Click-through Activism." It mocks the fact that while people who participate in "Click-through Activism" do so to "express themselves as individuals," it is really because of an eagerness to fit in with the collective and an aimless desire to be a part of a cause that they join these groups. The specific cause itself is unimportant, as we saw in the Washington Post article which mentions a psychologist who created a group supporting an entirely fictitious cause, the prevention of the leveling of Copenhagen's Stork Fountain to make room for an H&M clothing store. Within a week or so, the group had over 27,000 members, despite the fact that it was clearly stated on the groups page that the cause was made up. This experiment demonstrates the blind desire of Facebook users to "express themselves" by supporting a cause. Any cause will do.
The group, "An Arbitrary Number of People Demanding that Some Sort of Action Be Taken," also mocks the pointless and ineffective way that most "activist" groups express their anger and emotion about a cause, i.e. via mispelled and poorly punctuated comments that rarely lead to any actual protest or external activism.
I will surely keep this satire in mind the next time I decide whether or not to join a group. The popularity of Facebook gives it the potential to have a real life influence, but until its users start taking the groups and causes seriously, start joining groups for the right reasons, and start making a commitment to support the groups they join, Facebook groups will remain a joke.
In my limited capacity as an unappointed unauthorized unofficial spokesperson for the Arbitrary Number, let me just say that you clearly do not yet fully appreciate the severity of the situation we face! We of the Arbitrary Number declare that the time for action has come, or at least it will come as soon as we can find a time that works for everybody...
ReplyDeleteI've seen groups like that before on Facebook. They always tend to amuse me as well. I agree with the idea of people need to just associate with a cause of some kind to fit in or give themselves some kind of arbitrary purpose. I think that's just a part of the college culture, though. Just look at how many groups there are on campus and how many people sign up and "become members" and then forget about it. It's something I've never really understood about people.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely is a weird thing for us people to do. I know that I've done it myself, but exactly why I'm not sure of. I guess sometimes people just find the concept of a group/cause cool, or otherwise appealing, but just not quite enough to make them want to go out in the world and support it for real. So instead they show this passive form of support, by just clicking, and donating their name to the groups support list
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is funny, and sadly accurate, I am also urged to feel that if just 100 out of the 95,000 members of that group actually did take a stand for a certain cause, than real change would be made. It's always popular and "cool-in-an-intelligent-way" to make fun of hypocrisies but at the same time you have to look at the person pointing the finger and say, what are you doing to make it better? How is your inaction serving the world? Instead of being funny, we should all try to be leaders. Maybe then good things would finally start happening for good people.
ReplyDeleteDear Ms. Flood,
ReplyDeleteThe AANOPDTSSOABT has referred your recent blog-activity to the Arbitrary Number Committteey for Determining the Inherent Value and Degree of Amusement in Evidence in Blogs, Posts, On-line Groups, Playgrounds, and Parliaments to determine whether or not any further inaction be taken on the question of whether dissing the Arbitrary Number in the real-world of bloggers is good for humanity, children living in poverty, finding a cure for cancer, climate change, or world peace, or not. In the mean time, The Arbitrary Number Department for Dreaming Up Fictitious Causes wishes to thank you for your great suggestions for other possible venues for the formation of new AANOPDTSSOABT discussion groups, including but not limited to the new Ad Hoc Committie for Fostering Aimless Desires and the We'll do just About Anything to Fit into the Collective Because Resistance is Futile Fan Club. We would also like to nominate you for the position of Chair of the Division for Cool-and-Intillejent People Who Make a Real Difference in the World, and look forward to your future participation in the AANOP FB collektive, because, seriously grl, this group is in desperate need of your leadership, if you know what I mean.