Era of the Casual Activist

I am not a political activist. Nor am I involved in any such cause or group. However, I believe that the majority of people are not involved in any cause. I think all too often we become caught up in our own lives, trapped in our affairs. We do not get around to supporting activist groups.

Though, at the same time I believe that we do not join up with or contribute to activism because the task seems too monumental to make a difference in. This is often the case with things like Free Tibet or various global warming groups. I think this lack of activism is added to by our society’s facebook mentality. On facebook if you want to support something or raise awareness for it you join a group. This non-committal behaviour is perpetuated in actual causes as well.

Most people are willing to support a cause, or pay lip service to it, such as with environmental causes, so long as we do not have to do anything that will severely change our lives or habits. Many causes are aimed at making very small changes to our habits in order to affect change when it is done on a large enough scale. Such is the case in environmental causes like FLICK OFF. “Try carpooling. Ride a bike. Turn this stuff around so it applies to you. There are so many little things you can do to lessen your impact on the planet.” (FLICKOFF)

We seem to be moving away from the era of severely devoted activists that organize huge demonstrations to protest something, and moving into the era of the casual activist. Moving into an era where everyone can be an activist, if we can only find the time in our day to do so. Therein lays the catch.

-30-

Work Cited

FLICKOFF. "What you can do." FLICKOFF.org. Environmental Defence, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2009.