Paper Type
Complete
Paper Number
PACIS2025-1534
Description
This study examines the dynamics of digital activism, mixed activism, and anti-activism on social media. Digital activism leverages technology to reduce barriers between like-minded individuals and groups, reshaping how social movements are organized. Social media platforms have catalyzed societal change by facilitating the formation and promotion of online movements. Simultaneously, these platforms also enable digital anti-activism, which actively seeks to undermine activism efforts. This research explores a multifaceted social movement related to the contentious discourse surrounding COVID-19 vaccine distribution in New Zealand. Using computationally intensive methods to analyze Twitter (now X) data, we identify distinct patterns in how different forms of activism emerge and persist. While digital activism is immediate and intense through overt features (e.g., posting), mixed activism and digital anti-activism demonstrate greater engagement over time through covert features (e.g., replying). These insights contribute to a broader understanding of how social movements have evolved in the digital age.
Recommended Citation
Kishore, Shohil; Myers, Michael David; and Sundaram, David, "Digital Activism or Anti-Activism? Investigating the Dynamics of Social Movements on Social Media" (2025). PACIS 2025 Proceedings. 11.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2025/sm_digcollab/sm_digcollab/11
Digital Activism or Anti-Activism? Investigating the Dynamics of Social Movements on Social Media
This study examines the dynamics of digital activism, mixed activism, and anti-activism on social media. Digital activism leverages technology to reduce barriers between like-minded individuals and groups, reshaping how social movements are organized. Social media platforms have catalyzed societal change by facilitating the formation and promotion of online movements. Simultaneously, these platforms also enable digital anti-activism, which actively seeks to undermine activism efforts. This research explores a multifaceted social movement related to the contentious discourse surrounding COVID-19 vaccine distribution in New Zealand. Using computationally intensive methods to analyze Twitter (now X) data, we identify distinct patterns in how different forms of activism emerge and persist. While digital activism is immediate and intense through overt features (e.g., posting), mixed activism and digital anti-activism demonstrate greater engagement over time through covert features (e.g., replying). These insights contribute to a broader understanding of how social movements have evolved in the digital age.
Comments
Social