Silicone Bracelets Are More Valuable Awareness Tools Than Slacktivism

Let’s face it, it’s easy to deride supporters of various causes who wear silicone bracelets. Some say that doing nothing more than buying and wearing colored silicone bracelets is nothing more than "slacktivism," something that gives the wearer a warm, fuzzy feeling, but doesn’t do squat for the cause they supposedly support.



And yet … in the past six years or so, silicone bracelets – and the people who buy and wear them – have raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations and causes around the world. Even so, many cynics still claim these very real fundraising benefits aren’t "real" enough to make a difference in the world, that silicone bracelets are nothing more than a "feel-good" waste of effort and money.



Granted, wearing silicone bracelets isn’t the same as marching in the streets to protest something, or going to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild homes. Few would dispute the fact that hands-on activism is always more effective. But not everyone can travel. Not everyone is able to march in the streets. Just about anyone can declare their support, and put their money where their mouth is, by wearing silicone bracelets.



For those individuals, the money raised through the sale of silicone bracelets does make a difference. It’s certainly more effective than just doing nothing. And because they are so economical to produce, silicone bracelets can be sold in great numbers and raise money fast.



That can make a difference quickly. When the devastating Haiti earthquake struck in January, one school district in Ohio sold silicone bracelets imprinted with the words "help Haiti heal" to students, parents, faculty and staff. Within three weeks of the earthquake, they raised nearly $5,000.



Sure, that’s just a tiny fraction of the amount needed to rebuild Haiti. But it’s also $5,000 more than if the school district had done nothing, and all of it went to Haitian relief efforts. What’s so "slacktivist" about teaching students that small contributions such as those from buying silicone bracelets can contribute to a positive result? What’s not positive about teaching them the importance of caring about others in need?



A key secondary benefit is that those who buy the silicone bracelets remind others of the need for help. Even as the Haiti disaster has faded from the headlines, the need for help is still there. Whenever they wear their silicone bracelets, it’s possible someone will ask the wearer what they’re for. That’s an opportunity to gain more support and lifesaving donations to a worthy cause.



Think of it this way. All the silicone bracelets on all the wrists in the world are essentially miniature billboards for social causes. No matter what the color, they represent people who want to make the world a better place. That’s not exactly slacktivism.



Even though many organizations have adopted the same color silicone bracelets, they still serve a worthwhile purpose. The only way to really know what specific silicone bracelets represent is to ask the people wearing them. That contributes to greater understanding of the issues involved. Thanks to the silicone bracelets, that understanding can eventually turn into solutions. Awareness of a problem is only a beginning, but it IS a beginning.



No, silicone bracelets alone won’t solve the problems of poverty, disease, disasters or any of the rest of the world’s ills. But for people who might not be able to do more, they are a small way to contribute to making the world a better place. And for some, wearing silicone bracelets could be an introduction to greater activism once they know more about the cause. It’s a small contribution, true, but it’s hardly slacktivism.