Young people sharing videos about political or social causes online via social media may be more likely to engage in real-world activity to further that cause, new research suggests. The new research challenges the notion of “slacktivism,” which is a frequent way to describe young people’s political activity on social media. This is initial evidence of a “reverse Slacktivism effect…” “Proponents of the slacktivism narrative argue that by participating in politics in easy ways on social media—such as signing a petition or sharing a video—young people show their network how virtuous they are, thereby excusing themselves from engaging in more difficult offline action like attending a rally or volunteering for a nonprofit,” says lead author Dan Lane, a doctoral candidate in the communication studies department at the University of Michigan.