Slactivism as a type of digital activism: A qualitative research on graduate students

With information and communication technologies, changes and transformations have occurred in many areas of the world and society structure. At the beginning of these changes and transformations, communication has experienced deep-rooted developments between societies and individuals. The concept of internet has been introduced (in effected–or take) to human and community life together with information communication technologies. This concepts have many developments in the global sense, such as economic, social and cultural, political, technological and working life, and have compared societies to a whole new world. As a result of technology, the internet has rapidly transformed itself over, introducing social media platforms into the lives of individuals. With the introduction of these platforms into human life, the era have been skipped in many areas, especially communication. With these platforms offered by the internet, individuals have begun to live their life streams in these environments. This terms have allowed social events to be moved or created naturally through these environments. The individuals living here in every situation that life brings live in these environments and their support or reactions to the social and awareness-raising activities that disturb them are also living in these environments. With these platforms, individuals who have adapted to the New World Order have begun their social and awareness-raising activities to seek solutions on these environments. At this point, the concept of slaktivism (Slacktivism can be defined as participating in informal actions on the internet or supporting a political, social situation.) has emerged as a concept that explains how people and societies can show their support or reactions in these environments. In line with this information, the study determine what it means to engage in slaktivism activity for students and whether they experience conscientious comfort as stated in the sources. Preliminary interviews were conducted with fifteen participants from Ege University Graduate School of Social Sciences, Department of Communication Studies, Master's degree and doctoral degree. As a result of the preliminary interview, six participants were determined for the principal interview. In the information obtained from the content analysis and descriptive analysis, it was revealed that the students felt a conscientious relief and that the activity of slaktivism for the students meant good, happy, successful, useful, peaceful and satisfactory. Keywords: İnternet, Social Media and Digital/Online Media, Digital Activism, Slacktivism