Online activism or physical activism; which serves a better purpose? These are significant debates that have already been raised but far from settled! Social media activism just like any form of activism has its advantages however it may be plagued by what I refer to as “retreat” activism especially in the context of Uganda.

Social media activism may be viewed as retreat activism in the sense that social media is the last frontier afforded to the people as a means of activism and advocacy. If the analogy of a battle is used social media is seen as retreat strategy available in the wake of harsh and strong repression from the state. This would be permissible and understandable as there is rarely any battle fought without some form of retreat to give room for revision of strategy. However, this begs the question whether people will always be in retreat as a permanent strategy and what does this mean for activism in Uganda. Hereunder, I attempt to analyse this dilemma and offer my opinion on these pertinent questions.

First and foremost, to understand and contextualise this dilemma, Uganda is presently undergoing a nation-wide census however the estimated figures from the United Nations population put the population of Uganda at a staggering 49 million people with Uganda and with the second youngest population in the world as of 2015 with around 27.5 million and projected to increase to 75.9 million by 2080. The number of smartphone users is also put by the Uganda Communication Commission at 10.4 million in 2022 and this number is estimated to have increased due to growth in digital economy and internet usage which surged due to the covid 19 pandemic which confined Uganda people to their homes with the long lockdown periods.

These demographics highlight how many people in Uganda have the opportunity to harness social media activism for societal change and this isn’t free of challenges such as high internet costs, government repression through censorship and surveillance aided by legislation with repressive elements such as the computer misuse act, the regulation of interception of communications, the anti-terrorism act among others. This is not to say that oppression doesn’t exist in physical activism, in fact it’s what forces many Ugandans to opt for social media activism.

Uganda has recently seen a growth in online activism mainly through social media activism mainly geared to social accountability running through  popular social media platforms such as X(formerly twitter) and WhatsApp adopting hashtags and dubbed as exhibitions such as  the #UgandaPotholeExhibition,the #UgandaHealthExhibition, the #UgandaNGOExhibition , the #UgandaLabourExhibition, the #UgandaSecurityExhibition  and more recently the #UgandaParliamentExhibition where hence activists have been joined by Ugandans from all walks of life to shine the torchlight on pressing public concerns.

As much as these means of activism have presented themselves as ideal with many conventional advantages such as accessibility to the populace; potential to reach a wider audience; better engagement between activists and the populace; amplification by allowing voices of marginalised peoples to be heard; cost effectiveness; global connectivity; real time updates and the possibility to use diverse tactics such as petitions, online campaigns, digital art among others. Whilst this may seem convenient, and it can be convenient just enough to create armchair activists and slacktivists who don’t ideally engage much with creating the content or gathering people online as they only like and proceed with other social media interactions. Online activism thus can sometimes be superficial, with people engaging in activities like signing online petitions or sharing social media posts without deeper engagement with the issues at hand.

In a country like Uganda with a record of state repression of physical protests many people have resorted to online activism however which itself isn’t free of repression in form of censorship and surveillance. This can create the armchair activism which is superficial with little understanding of the issues at hand coupled with possibility of limited impact compared to the physical protests.

The superficial nature of this activism is worsened by the too much information fed to Ugandans on social media verified or unverified which makes it hard for many to even capitalise on a particular issue. Furthermore, owing to information overload, many destressing images associated with activism campaigns are Ugandans fed to Ugandans’ social media feeds and timelines that frustrates some of them who just choose to avoid those posts or they simply “like” and move on without understanding and being engaged with the issue at hand. This thus can possibly undermine the possibility of real change just as in a battle retreat.

This buttresses the assertion that online activism gives those who participate in slacktivist campaigns an illusion of having meaningful impact on the world without demanding anything more than joining a Facebook group or liking posts on X and other social media platforms. This can be dangerous for activism since it doesn’t solve the problem but only raises the issue as a public concern which can be neglected by the government such the X parliamentary exhibition that exposed a lot of corruption, embezzlement and misused of government funds but not much has been done to investigate those who were publicly charged with these offences. Thus, an X (formerly twitter) user may think they are doing much for cause by offering a “like” and reposting a post on an activism and stop at that without finding out what happens and coupled with the fear of repression, they probably won’t revisit the issue.

Social media has also served a superficial purpose as a safety valve for Ugandans to vent about political, social and economic issues affecting them. However, this thus renders some social media activism in this form as spontaneous without any goal or not targeted to any audience and not addressing the root cause of the problem and hence in the long run being passed down to the drain of the multitude of information on social media. It can be argued that social media as a retreat activism only offers a safety valve for discontent citizens to vent and show discontent but with little potential of causing change and hence after venting will probably get along without tackling or advocating for a change in the status quo.

While acknowledging the importance of social media and its advantages, it’s critical to emphasize the necessity of strategic targeting when undertaking social media activism. Content on social media platforms should be created with clear goals and tailored for specific target audiences. However, it’s important to recognize the limitations of solely relying on social media activism, in regions with limited internet connectivity, such as Uganda, where less than a quarter of the population is connected to the internet.

Social media activism must be complemented by physical activism to prevent the pitfalls associated with armchair activism and the illusion of effectiveness without tangible action. Physical activism, which encompasses techniques like sit-ins, demonstrations, and civil disobedience, ought to serve as a crucial counterpart to social media activism. Thus, by maintaining a strong presence on both fronts, activists can effectively engage in the battle for social change while leveraging the strengths of both approaches

In Uganda, where numerous human rights issues persist, it’s essential to avoid solely relying on social media activism. The demographics of Uganda that indicate limited internet coverage and smartphone usage, underscore the importance of adopting a hybrid approach that combines social media (online) activism and physical activism. This approach will ensure that activism remains grounded in tangible action while leveraging the advantages of online activism thus maximizing its impact in pursuit of social justice.

Nuwe Ahereza Marvin