Does a New Report on Volunteering Refute Charges of “Slacktivism”?

A new study may refute charges that Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks promote “slacktivism,” writes Kristin Ivie on the blog Social Citizens.

The study by the National Conference on Citizenship found that young people who discussed civic causes on Facebook and other online networks were more likely to donate money or volunteer their time than those who were not.

Ms. Ivie, social-innovation program associate at the Case Foundation, says this “seems to refute arguments that social media is just encouraging slacktivism by allowing people to edit their avatar or join a Facebook group without really having engaged.”

She adds that, because “social citizens can be all ages,” “perhaps encouraging the use of social media for good by other generations will improve offline engagement as well.”

What do you think? Should charities be encouraging more people of all ages to participate in civic activities online? And how do you read the National Conference on Citizenship’s findings?