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I recently read an article by Jinsook Kim titled “Sticky Activism: The Gangnam Station Murder Case and New Feminist Practices against Misogyny and Femicide” which offers an extremely interesting examination of the convergence of online and offline political action.
Right off the bat, after reading that title, you may be thinking to yourself, what exactly is "sticky activism"? I thought this too. Before reading, I had no idea what that term meant, but it turns out I've read about or even seen, examples before, and maybe you have too.
How does "sticky activism" work?
Kim's article is dissecting is the role of online and offline activism in raising public awareness about misogyny and gender-based violence, specifically in reference to the 2016 Gangnam Station murder in South Korea. Where the "sticky" aspect comes in is that people decided to put up post-it note messages on the wall of the station expressing everything from their anger and outrage to their own experiences of gender-based violence and their desire for change - this is referred to as sticky note activism.
Kim writes sticky note activism refers to the "use of post-it notes and similar products as a means to express personal opinions, messages, and sentiments as well as solidarity with broader social and political movements." This typically involves handwritten notes posted in public spaces then uploading/disseminating them on social media
This isn't something unique to this event, nor has it only ever happened in South Korea. Over the past 10 years, the idea of post-it note messages at important sites or for protest has happened in New York City, Hong Kong, and Thailand (to name a couple examples). While a post-it note may be small in size, it has the power to make large statements and great impact. Suppose you're interested in learning more about the power this form of peaceful protest can have. In that case, Nicole Gallucci has an article where she discusses how "Post-its [have] made the transition from bland office supply to powerful statement maker[s]."
Close view of Hong Kong Lennon Wall on 2014-10-18 (1) Credit: Ceeseven, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Close view of Hong Kong Lennon Wall on 2014-10-18 (1) Credit: Ceeseven, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Post-it notes started appearing on the walls of the Union Square subway station the day after the election, and has grown to cover dozens of feet with thousands of notes. Credit: Phil Roeder from Des Moines, IA, USA, CC BY 2.0,via Wikimedia Commons
Post-it notes started appearing on the walls of the Union Square subway station the day after the election, and has grown to cover dozens of feet with thousands of notes. Credit: Phil Roeder from Des Moines, IA, USA, CC BY 2.0,via Wikimedia Commons
So, what is the appeal of “sticky note activism” and how does it blend offline and online activism?
As a person who considers themselves an activist and has been to their fair share of protests, I can’t help but be drawn into these succinct, support-showing, sticky note messages. The fundamental idea behind it is not unfamiliar; post a message, protest something, propagate it through different means, and have a set limit for how much you can write. This reminds me of protests signs people have, with their short message that they hold up, and of tweets, with their limited character space. One key differentiation between the sticky notes and tweets or posters is their anonymity. Unlike tweets linked back to your account or protests signs that people physically carry around, this is pasted onto a wall, with tons of other messages all around it. People may see you in the space or know you have written something, but it is hard to trace it back to you unless they see it. This freedom to write what you want, with the limited amount of space, gives it a more open and honest feel. This freedom to write, also draws in benefits of having activism offline.
Did you know that over 60 percent of the world's population remains offline? Beatrice Martini discusses tech and tools for justice and rights and touches on the inequities and accessibility issues with technology and social media. For many of us, grabbing our phone and looking at posts, or tweets are normal, but we must remember that not everyone has the same access or ability. “Stick note activism” blends the world of offline and online; it offers an online space and platform, as well as an in-person site for people to contribute/participate. While it may not be perfect or allow everyone the ability to participate, it's merging gaps or inequities that exist.
My final thoughts?
Overall, I think that "sticky activism" offers the best of both worlds in our current day. It offers the ability of online and offline participation, gives people a solid image or idea to get behind and disseminate, and it creates solidarity, both for the movement and for the people involved. While the sticky notes don't offer you a full essay of thoughts and opinions, its limited character spaces allows for emotional responses - people's anger, sadness or fear - or first thoughts, making a strong and lasting impact for those who read it. It gives you the ability to post, protest, and propagate reaching a larger audience. So, the next time you're participating in a little activism, or peaceful protest, I hope you keep this idea in mind - I know I will!
Thanks for reading,
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