Illustration from The Express Tribune

Type ‘petition’ into Facebook’s search bar and what comes up is a slew of results: pages, groups, apps, all having to do with social activism. There are Facebook petitions to raise awareness of animal cruelty and petitions for women’s rights—petitions that fight to keep ABC soap operas on the air and petitions against Facebook petitions.

The creation of websites like Change.org, that specialize in organizing petitions on the web, are a sign of the popularity of petition-making that reaches outside of the realm of Facebook. With over 5 million members, Change.org is the biggest and most influential petition-promoting site on the web. Boasting a team of over 98 organizers, campaign directors, software engineers and strategists, Change.org calls itself an ‘organizing platform’ for citizen activists.

Sarah Parsons, Change.org’s Sustainable Food Editor, explains that technology has changed the face of social activism. “It makes sense, that since people communicate online now that activism should be online as well,” Parson says in a phone interview. While social movements before the age of new media depended on the physical congregation of people to protest a cause, technology has created a method of protesting that relies on mouse clicks and virtual signatures.

In a phone interview, Zachary Dominitz, Change.org’s Director of Partnerships, compares the web to the telephone and suggests that although the Internet has changed the way that people communicate, it is still a tool for communication—just a better tool. “There’s nothing to match the speed of the Internet,” Dominitz says. He explains that members of Generation Y are used to using the Internet to reach out to one another. Sites like Facebook and Twitter allow people all over the world to connect instantly. Dominitz says that the reason that online petitions have reached such popularity is due to sites like Facebook that allow individuals to engage in online communities. He says that online petition making gives people the ability to make a difference in the world. “You can put up an idea on Change.org and if its shared amongst a bunch of people, it can be something powerful.”

However, in an age where it has become easy to join causes online, activism means something different—one click and you support gay rights, one click and you support women’s rights. But what does this clicking mean? Has social media made activism a “slacker’s” activity in which people who want to make a difference can do so without having to even leave their computers?

The term “slacktivism” has been used as early as 2001 in online conversations about new media in relation to activism. Although it is not certain where the term originated, it has been used as a critique of online petitioning, referring to a certain kind of person who signs online petitions without being actively involved. “So called ‘slacktivists’ take easy, social actions in support of a cause,” says Katya Anderson of Network for Good (a petitioning website) in an article for Mashable.com. “Signing a petition, liking a Facebook page or putting a pink ribbon on their avatar.”

However, a Georgetown University study made in 2010 found that people who get involved in online petitioning are more likely to donate money or volunteer in actual events than people who do not use social media for activism. Anthony De Rosa, Social Media Editor for Reuters, says that “slacktivism,” is an overrated term. “Social media has helped people take the next step from slacktivism to actual activism,” says De Rosa in an email. De Rosa explains that movements like the Arab Spring—that lead to revolutions in the Middle East this past year—and the current Occupy Wall Street movements use social media to spread their messages, however, they come from real off-line problems that effect people in their daily lives.

On November 1, Change.org announced their victory over Bank of America’s $5 debit card fee after over 300,000 people signed a petition asking the bank to eliminate the fee for all customers. The petition was created by an independent member of Change.org who also broadcasted her plea onto Facebook and Twitter. Dominitz says that Change.org depends on social networking sites so that people can use their connections to spread word of their cause with immediacy. He believes that online petitioning is a tool that goes hand in hand with why people reach out to one another online on sites like Facebook. “It’s looking for something that is larger than ourselves—making or signing a petition gives you a sense of being part of your world.”

By scanning a barcode-esque symbol, known as a QR (Quick Response) code, on the menu with their smartphones, the girls are linked to a video on the café’s Vimeo page of head chef preparing Banc’s signature dishes.

“We started it as a fun mechanism to give people a look into our kitchen,” explains café owner Mark Fox. “But since we started doing it this summer, customers have scanned the code over 1200 times!”

QR Codes are swiftly becoming a valuable resource for companies looking create brand awareness with a younger audience. With that one-square-inch symbol on his menu, Fox is able to link thousands of customers to Banc’s various online social pages before they even leave the restaurant.

QR scanning in North America has skyrocketed by over 1200 percent in the last year alone. Experts point to increased smartphone ownership –almost 50 percent of Americans will own one by the start of 2012, according to Nielson studies– and low cost production of the codes as the primary reasons behind the increased use of the technology.

“By the end of next year everyone who has a smartphone will have scanned a QR code at least once,” explained Roger Smolski, author of the 2Dcode Blog.

But the real surprise to tech experts is what age groups are using QR codes the most. Almost 50 percent of QR-users are between the ages of 35 and 54, while ages 25-34 account for only 22 percent.

A study by Mobio Technologies also revealed that consumers above the age of 35 are more likely to scan QR codes for purchasing, while users 18-34 prefer to use scans to access the social media sites of their favorite brands.

Hoping take advantage of a younger QR audience, Manhattan Mini Storage added the codes to its print advertisements last summer, looking to increase their online social following by linking young scanners to Manhattan Mini’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

“QR codes should serve a purpose,” explained Meg Low, the digital marketing manager for Manhattan Mini Storage. “They should drive users to do something they can’t get out of your ad.”

More than 6,000 users scanned the code and watched a special commercial on Manhattan Mini Storage’s YouTube page in the months following the QR introduction.

QR code technology was first developed in the automotive industry in the early 1990’s as a way for manufacturers to keep track of cars during production. In 2002, Japanese cellphone-makers began to introduce scanning technology into their products, opening the doors to mobile marketing campaigns. The technology can now be found on almost everything, from billboards, menus and even clothing.

Publicly Private Outfitters custom prints shirts with a QR Code linking to the individual’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Blog. “Unlike most codes printed on paper, our t-shirts aren’t intended to ‘sell’ anything,” explained Aaron Ransom, the owner

Companies looking to increase the number of ‘likes’ on their Facebook page might want to consider Publicly Private’s latest creation—a t-shirt with giant QR code and text that reads, “Scan me—I’m ‘like’able.”

From Facebook to Twitter to blogging, Generation Y live their lives online—and nowhere more so than in fashion. In this public celebration, camera-loving Gen Yers post outfits, clothing and inspiration on the Internet, using this platform as a way for the fashion-minded to share ideas. With the unlimited possibility of the web, Generation Y has made fashion more influential, more accessible, and certainly more global.

“Fashion is no longer a one-way street to consumers, but now a two-way street,” says Susan Cernek, senior fashion editor for Glamour.com, the online counterpart to the magazine.

The Internet has drastically shortened connection time, and communication is now instantaneous around the globe. If traditional print magazines rejected online components, they would be far behind the times. Still, with the never-ending flow of online outlets, many readers look elsewhere to find their daily dose of fashion.

Blogging fits the prescription. Like thousands of others, 19-year-old fashion addict Francheska Liberman rarely buys print magazines anymore. The Marbella, Spain native finds all editorials and upcoming trends on the Internet, but prefers to read personal blogs for inspiration. Her own blog, “Fashion Canvas,” in which she posts her favorite photographs, ranks in the top 100 of about 25,000, according to Bloglovin’, a service that provides RSS feeds for blogs.

Liberman embodies the power of the Internet, and the fashion blogging community it’s formed. Hailing from a small town where no one shared her interests, she started a blog to connect with others. “We bloggers created our own little world where we can relate to one another without using speech as a form of communication, and [using] fashion instead,” she says.

While traditional fashion figures have always carried an air of exclusivity, the fashion world led by Generation Y bloggers promotes exposure, social intercourse and accessibility. “The rise of the anonymous blogger—the more accessible, relatable style icon, is a mark of the change in fashion now,” says Cernek.

Accessible fashion also links directly to street style, with the recognition that having style doesn’t mean following trends or spending money. Scott Schuman, the face behind pioneering blog The Sartorialist, brought street style to the masses. “It’s encouraging personal styles, encouraging people to want to feel more individualized than other people,” says Justin Stefano, co-founder of Refinery29.com, a fashion forum with a street-style section.

Generation Y’s awareness of fashion extends far beyond their immediate surroundings, thanks in part to these photographers that travel the world, but also to the limitless Internet.

Lookbook.nu demonstrates this iconic Generation Y awareness. An online community that began two years ago, the network is literally a global lookbook with 50,000 members from 48 countries—all Generation Yers. Users post “looks,”—creative photographs of their style and outfits, which other members can “hype” or “love,” like giving a virtual thumbs up or bookmarking it as a favorite.

“I think fashion comes from young minds, because kids are willing to try new things,” says Yuri Lee, the 25-year-old founder.

And young minds, who have long been practicing self-expression online, are eager to embrace originality in fashion. “Global street-style connects high and low, and it’s relatable,” says Ella Magun, a Columbia University sophomore inspired by style she saw in Paris. On her browser she bookmarks StyleLikeU.com, her favorite style website.

Founded by Elisa Goodkind, a 52-year-old ex-stylist and her 20-year-old daughter Lily, StyleLikeU serves as an online forum for inspiring people as seen through Goodkind’s lens. Subjects are filmed in their own closets, showcasing their favorite pieces and talking of their style philosophies.

Goodkind, who left the fashion industry to make this website, believes the Internet opens many doors for the future. Now, fashion comes from the people.

“I’m trying to bring back creativity, something inspiring, something that isn’t controlled by advertisers,” says Goodkind, who finds herself attracted to people with eclectic style and fascinating stories. “This site is more of a movement, and it allows me to show that style is different than fashion.”

Generation Y Twitter users connect to their favorite celebrities by following their tweets.

Lashing Out Against Kanye

Jaws dropped and boos ensued when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech at the Video Music Awards last month. From A-listers sitting in the audience to the millions of viewers watching at home, the venting began immediately, many channeling their anger via Twitter.

Katy Perry, who was nominated for the same award that Taylor won, instantly tweeted from her cell phone: “F- U KANYE. IT’S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN.” Pop star Pink, another nominee, also condemned Kanye with a cell phone tweet. Within seconds, their words were received by millions of followers, many of whom were also online typing similar updates.

“Everyone tweeted about it,” says Austin Vanaria, a 20-year-old Tufts student who had received Perry’s update when writing his own, directing his flared temper into 140 characters. Twitter forges connections between celebrities and regular people, creating an intimacy and immediacy that makes these untouchables become touchable. This unprecedented connection is the reason that Gen Y is flocking to Twitter—to follow their favorite celebrities whether it’s Jimmy Fallon or Lindsay Lohan. “It makes you feel connected to celebrities and other people in real time, even if you’re not with them,” says Vanaria.

Tear Down this Cyber Wall

According to a Quantcast Corporation study, almost half of Twitter users today are Gen Yers between the ages of 18 and 34. “It’s the newest medium that introduces the feeling of getting closer, and creates this sense that direct communication [with celebrities] is possible,” says Lisa Gitelman, a media historian and communications professor at NYU Steinhardt. “By paring it down to 140 characters, you feel like you stripped away all the pretenses.”

In effect, the only boundary left between one Twitterer and another is a cyber-wall, which almost feels meaningless because Gen Y has an almost instinctual knowledge of the Internet.

When Twitter was launched three years ago, it took a full year for its popularity to rise. From last February to this March, it grew at a staggering < 1,382 percent. And six months ago, celebrities like Ashton Kutcher put Twitter on the map for the Gen Y demographic. On April 15, Kutcher challenged CNN Breaking News to see whose Twitter could first garner one million followers. Two days later, Kutcher reached one million just 29 minutes before CNN did, and their contest received international coverage. Today, there are over 8 million US Twitter users, according to Nielsen Online.

Claudia Yuen, a 19-year-old junior at NYU, first heard about Twitter through the Kutcher vs. CNN contest, and says she joined Twitter “for celebrities, because I still talk to all of my friends on Facebook.” And of the 79 people she follows, 46 are celebrities and reality TV stars, 16 are fashion figures, and another 5 are news organizations. “It’s like a guilty pleasure,” she says. “As much as I rely on paparazzi for my entertainment, I love reading updates straight from the celebrity.”

Conversely, Joey Bunge, a 20-year-old NYU student, joined Twitter so he could stay connected to his friends and family with “a quick snippet.” Yet he acknowledges that he couldn’t resist following many celebrities on Twitter. “Nicole Richie just had a baby, and I saw her baby’s pictures when I checked my Twitter from my phone to pass time… It makes you feel like you’re her pseudo-friend.”

Nick Douglas, technology blogger and author of Twitter Wit, Brilliance in 140 Characters or Less, believes this “pseudo friendship” is why Gen Y likes Twitter. “It makes our heroes more touchable,” he says. “But it doesn’t work like that for most older fans, who aren’t as used to reaching their heroes online.”

Enough is Enough

“Hero” may not be the right word to use to describe some celebrities. Recording artist Solange Knowles, Beyonce’s younger sister, documented her experience of overdosing on Nyquil at the airport with a series of tweets. They ended with this one: “Woaah… How’d I end up in the hospital?” All 300,000 of Knowles’ followers saw those updates, and tabloids snapped up the story, and it got national coverage. Such scandals make celebrities more human in the eye of gossip-hungry Gen Yers.

“I saw [Knowles’] tweets and asked my friends if they had read them, and we talked about it and related it to our own bad experiences with sleeping pills,” says Bunge.

Most stars, however, will keep their Twitter accounts PR-friendly, usually as a way to keep in touch with their fan base. Technology expert Douglas, who is a mini Twitter celebrity himself with 11,000 followers, explains, “The assumptions on Twitter make it very useful for one-to-many communication. Facebook works, but it requires more investment. Twitter is very simple, it only demands one thing at a time of its users, it’s very clear who’s reading what you write.”

The micro-blogging site is closing the gap between star and Gen Y fan, which raises the next question: How close is too close? In a move that disappointed more than 1 million fans, Miley Cyrus deleted her Twitter last week at the request of her boyfriend, in an attempt to keep her personal life private.

Some would-be stars can’t afford to be elusive. Douglas says, “George Clooney [doesn’t] suffer by not being on Twitter. But anyone who wants to be the next Jonas Brothers, or even the next Jason Schwartzman, would benefit from keeping fans posted regularly.”