Digital Activism Survey Report 2009

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" above: respondents’ personal definitions of digital activism
Key Findings
Age: Of the survey’s 122 respondents, 28% were between the ages of 26 and 30, with 10% above age 50
and only 2% below the age of 20. The low activism rates of these young “digital natives” may be
explained by political apathy and entertainment preferences online.
Gender: Outside North America, male respondents outnumbered female respondents by a margin of 7 to
3. If this gap holds true for digital activists in general, this further challenges the gender-neutral identity of
technology.
Geography: Geographic representation was largely consistent with global Internet access but should not
be used as representative of the true distribution of digital activists around the world.
Economics: Digital activists, particularly in developing countries, are much more likely than the population
at large to pay a monthly subscription fee to have Internet at home, to be able to afford a high-speed
connection, and to work in a white-collar job where Internet is also available. In short, digital activists are
likely to be prosperous.
Access: Intensity of use, rather than simple access, is critical as to whether or not a person is a digital
activist. This high use is only possible for people with the ability to pay for it. The Internet may be
2