All posts filed under: social commentary

Slacktivism: How powerful is online activism?

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Originally posted on The Scribble Bug:
Slacktivism is a funny little hybrid word – a portmanteau of ‘slacker’ and ‘activism’.  It applies to ‘actions taken to bring about political or social change but requiring only minimal commitment, effort, or risk’, but more generally referring to the casual liking or retweeting of political or issue-led content online in lieu of mobilising IRL. Over the last two years it’s received a serious amount of mixed press. On the one hand, it’s drawing attention to campaigns and causes that need them. On the other, slacktivism carries a pejorative undertone – implies people are interacting online to look good or feel good rather than actually engaging or committing to a cause. Is this all it is? Is it just a lot of talk but not a lot of do?  As a digital native who often finds themselves writing about activism – in particular those related to climate change, mental health, and equality – this is something that has increasingly bothered me. And you know me – if something causes a bother then it’s time to ask some questions and find…

Selective Outrage Won’t Get Us Free

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Originally posted on Black Millennials:
Jamar Clark was killed execution-style while handcuffed in Minneapolis. Black activists most notably affiliated with the local Black Lives Matter chapter and the local NAACP shut down highways and occupied the 4th police precinct. National media is starting to pick up on the local unrest, especially after white supremacist terrorists shot five Black Lives Matter protestors. In Chicago, video released shows LaQuan McDonald being shot some sixteen times by a white police officer. His murderer has been charged, and thousands are mobilizing. Traditional media is focusing on the clashes between protesters and police, while social media is aflame. The gruesome video (which I admittedly haven’t watched) lives on the pages of many. Heated debate about the discomfiting consumption of Black death and pain is — once again — underway. Not one to homogenize Black murder and resulting unrest, I can’t help but draw striking parallels to Ferguson and Baltimore. From the expansive number of mass mobilizations and frontline energies, to the tweets of solidarity, frenetic live-streaming, and the viciously heavy-handed responses…

Mahouka: Ideas, Ideals, and Light Novel culture

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Originally posted on A Pinoy Millennial:
Welp, I’ve been binge watching the show for a while now. And after covering over half of the total episodes, I conclude that Mahouka embodies plenty of what I like and dislike about recent anime culture surrounding Light Novels. I’ll get straight to the point, while I like the bit of social commentary about equality I’m not sure I’m fond of just how overtly technical-techy this anime is. It’s supposed to be a world where magic meets science. And yet while the visuals can make an impressive half, the other half just feels too much like science fiction instead of an actually balanced blend. That’s a magic gun? I thought it was Apple’s next product. I mean at least Wizard Barristers presented magic in a way that was a lot more straightforward. In the world of Mahouka, spells are reduced to mere computer coding. Good God, shit like this is the reason why I dumped Computer Science back in college. Give me a good, old-fashioned mix of imagination, fear-inducing…