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Auszug aus dem Interview

Wie wirkungsvoll ist digitaler Protest?

Onlinepetitionen, Hashtagaktivismus und Protestprofilbilder – wir haben Christopher Schmitz vom Göttinger Institut für Demokratieforschung gefragt, was Onlineaktivismus bringt

Interview: Lisa Santos

Quelle: Santos, Lisa. „Wie wirkungsvoll ist digitaler Protest?“ fluter. 3. Jan. 2022. Zugriff am 18. Okt. 2023.

Traditional and Online Protest: What Makes Activism Effective Today?

• In times of social media and global networking, activism has changed significantly. In an interview titled “Wie wirkungsvoll ist digitaler Protest?”, German researcher Christopher Schmitz discusses the differences and similarities between traditional protest and online activism. He explains how both forms function, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and why their effectiveness is not easy to measure.

Traditional Protest: Visibility on the Streets

• According to Schmitz, traditional forms of protest typically take place in public spaces. Participants gather signatures, attend demonstrations, block or obstruct streets and physically show their presence to draw attention to issues they care about. The impact of political groups has long been measured mainly by the number of people participating in such protests.

• Images of large rallies often generate considerable media attention. Pictures of demonstrators in the streets are usually perceived as more powerful and influential than abstract online interactions such as clicking on a hashtag. Therefore, traditional protest still plays a central role in shaping public perception.

Online Protest: Lower Barriers and Faster Networking

• However, Schmitz rejects the idea that online activism is merely “slacktivism” or “hashtag activism.” While it is true that participating online requires less effort – for example signing online petitions or liking posts – he argues that lower thresholds of participation are not necessarily negative. In traditional activism, not everyone had the time, energy or ability to attend demonstrations. People with little free time or with physical disabilities in particular benefit from the opportunities offered by the internet.

• Online protest enables more people to become active. The internet connects individuals quickly and helps like-minded people find each other and organize. As a result, protests can go viral within a short time.

• Schmitz also points out that online activism often takes place on social networking sites. To gain attention in these environments, activists frequently rely on eye-catching methods such as striking headlines (clickbait), memes or powerful images. In some cases, even blocking websites has become a digital equivalent to blocking streets in traditional protests.

Differences and Overlaps

• Although the forms of protest have changed, Schmitz emphasizes that they should not be seen as completely separate. Many online formats are simply further developments of older protest methods. For example, while petitions used to be signed in pedestrian zones, they are now often signed digitally.

• Importantly, Schmitz argues that the public still tends to perceive political influence mainly through visible street protests. Even if online groups are active and large, they are often only mentioned as a side note in media coverage. Images of people physically demonstrating often have a stronger impact than abstract online interactions.

Combining Both Forms and Measuring Success

• Schmitz uses movements such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo to illustrate that online and offline activism often work together. Even though these movements became large through the internet, they also produced powerful images of street protests. In his view, separating online and street activism is not helpful. Instead, the combination of both forms may be most effective.

• However, he stresses that it is difficult to measure the success of activism. When a movement has a clearly defined goal, such as introducing a specific law, its impact may be easier to assess. But broader movements that aim at long-term social change – such as climate movements or anti-racism campaigns – pursue complex goals. Social change takes time, overlaps with other developments and cannot easily be attributed to a single protest movement.

The Role of Social Media

• Finally, Schmitz highlights how social media platforms have transformed online activism. Platforms are designed to keep users engaged by encouraging them to like, comment and share content. As a result, users are exposed to an enormous amount of information, while their attention span becomes shorter. Movements must therefore compete for attention.

• To stand out, activists often rely on emotional, visually appealing or provocative content. Images and memes work particularly well because they can communicate messages quickly and directly without requiring much effort from viewers. Nevertheless, this dynamic also risks simplifying complex issues.

Conclusion

• Christopher Schmitz concludes that neither traditional nor online protest is inherently superior. Traditional protests create powerful images and visible mass participation, while online activism lowers barriers to participation and enables rapid networking. Both forms often aim at far-reaching social change and should ideally be combined to maximize their impact. At the same time, the effectiveness of activism remains difficult to measure, especially when the goal is long-term societal transformation.

• In today’s interconnected world, activism is most successful when digital and traditional forms complement each other rather than compete.