Online Communities as Catalysts for Social Change and Activism

  • Authors

    • Jacques Arsac Professor of Computer Science, University of Paris, France. Author

    DOI:

    https://doi.org/10.67228/3071561X/IJIRHT-2024PII9P5F

    Published 12-04-2024

  • Online Communities, Digital Activism, Social Change, Social Media, Civic Engagement, Networked Participation, Collective Action, Information Diffusion, Social Networks, Digital Transformation

    Issue

    Vol. 7 No. 2 (2024)

    Section

    Articles

    How to Cite

    [1]
    J. Arsac, “Online Communities as Catalysts for Social Change and Activism”, IJIRHT, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 01–16, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.67228/3071561X/IJIRHT-2024PII9P5F.

  • Abstract

    Online communities have become powerful tools for social change and activism by enabling information sharing, public awareness, resource mobilization, and collective action. Through social media, forums, and digital networks, people can participate in social, political, environmental, and human rights movements across geographic boundaries. This study examines how digital platforms support activism through communication, engagement, and community participation. Using methods such as social network analysis, sentiment analysis, and engagement analytics, the research finds that higher digital engagement is strongly linked to campaign success. Key success factors include community trust, effective leadership, relevant content, and technological accessibility. Despite challenges such as misinformation, polarization, algorithmic bias, privacy concerns, and digital inequality, online communities remain a vital force in modern activism and are expected to evolve further with emerging technologies like AI and decentralized networks.

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