Concepts of civil activism in the digital space of communications

The author considers the change of approaches to the analysis of social changes that occur under the influence of digital communication technologies. The article presents the basic modern concepts of civic activism manifested in the digital environment. The concept of slacktivism reflects the negative manifestations of the effects of digital technologies on civic engagement leading to the waste of social capital. The concept of communication power reveals the institutional organization of network communities and social movements that act in accordance with established rules and hierarchies. The concept of connecting action focuses on self-organization, coordination and mobilization of user’s communities of digital communications to achieve shared values and interests. The concept of digital participation justifies the usefulness of online forms of civic activism, leading to increased social interaction offline. This non-exhaustive list of concepts of civic activism creates a general idea of the diversity of scientific approaches to the consideration of rapidly changing social relations mediated by digital communications.