ABSTRACT
The arsenal that activists have in their repertoire of contention is a key component to any social movement. This chapter illustrates some common characteristics of activists' use of digital technology to promote social change. Although collective or individual uses of digital technology to pursue a short-term cause are not technically considered social movements because they are not sustained campaigns, flash campaigns, based on clicktivism, can yield tangible results. For a full-fledged social movement to emerge, it is essential that potential activists realize that others are also willing to join the struggle, particularly if the struggle may turn violent. The chapter examines various strands of social movement theory in a complementary fashion and explains the outbreak of protest activity. The case studies in the chapter suggests that there are two very pertinent issues social movement scholars and students must consider regarding contemporary and future mobilization efforts: access to the public sphere and control of technology.
