Digital activism has transformed political protest in the last two decades. Smartphones and the Internet have changed the way political events, protests, and movements are organized, helping to mobilize thousands of new supporters to a diverse range of causes. With such activity becoming an everyday occurrence, new forms of digital activism are now emerging. These often bypass the existing world of politics, social movements, and campaigning. Instead, they take advantage of new technologies to provide an alternative way of organizing society and the economy.
We’ve become used to the idea of digital activism and social media being used to publicize and grow political movements, such as the Arab Spring uprisings in the Middle East and the anti-austerity movement Occupy. Activists, such as those in recent French labor protests, can now live stream videos of their actions using apps such as Periscope while online users contribute to the debate. In Barcelona, the party of new mayor Ada Colau drew up its electoral program with the help of over 5,000 people, in public assemblies and online, including the formation of network of cyberactivists, SomComuns.
