Slacktivism as a form of citizen participation through social media in protests against rising living costs in Albania

ABSTRACT: Taking steps concerning what happens around you to change a phenomenon or situation or toengage as a citizen, is no longer a term limited to the conditions of the physical world. With the development oftechnology and the proliferation of social networks, civic engagement has expanded into new dimensions. Noweveryone can get involved in online initiatives, express their opinions in real-time, or repost on eventstrending inone corner of the world. All this engagement that takes place in the virtual realm, where minimal effort andsacrifice is required, has been called slacktivism (Christensen 2011). This paper seeks to analyze this type ofengagement in Albanian society and explore slacktivism as a form of civic participation. The paper will focuson the price hike and cost of living protests in Albania in the spring of 2022. The main aim is to understand ifonline activism prevails over activism in the physical world. Through a survey with 470 participants in the 16-40 age group, we analyze their involvement in civic engagement, identifying how they perceive and demonstratethis engagement. Additionally, this paper highlights the role of social media and slacktivism in shaping citizens`participation in protests related to the rising cost of living.

KEYWORDS:slacktivism, participation, activism, social media, internet, protest.