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Jun 25, 2021
This week’s theme
Rodents

This week’s words
myology
mouse potato
rat race
mousy
clicktivism

clicktivism
“Help me put an end to zombies by joining my Facebook group, No More Zombies! :)”
Cartoon: Dan Piraro

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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

clicktivism

PRONUNCIATION:
(KLIK-ti-viz-uhm)

MEANING:
noun: The use of the Internet to signal support for a cause.

ETYMOLOGY:
A blend of click, as in a mouse click + activism. Earliest documented use: 2006.

NOTES:
Clicktivism can take many forms: signing an online petition, forwarding a message, sharing a posting, or changing the color or banner on one’s website or social media in support of a cause, and so on. Clicktivism is sometimes derided as slacktivism (slack + activism). It’s seen as putting in minimal effort and getting a sense of doing something and feeling good about it, instead of getting deeply involved with a cause. While the criticism can be justified, clicktivism is better than doing nothing and, at least, it raises awareness.

USAGE:
“[Purpose.com’s] critics worry, however, that its brand of web-based activism is often skin-deep clicktivism. It is easy to click on a petition and then do nothing else.”
Profit with Purpose; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 26, 2013.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Scientists do not join hands every Sunday and sing "Yes gravity is real! I know gravity is real! I will have faith! I believe in my heart that what goes up, up, up must come down, down, down. Amen!" If they did, we would think they were pretty insecure about the concept. -Dan Barker, former preacher, musician (b. 25 Jun 1949)

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