Earlier this month, AU’s new Social Media Club held its inaugural Social Media Learning Summit, featuring discussions on media literacy and the use of social media in education. In one session, a panel discussed the key points of slacktivism — or lack thereof. The panelists agreed on one principle: so-called “slacktivism” is just activism with different tools.

The panelists included Alan Rosenblatt, director of social media strategies at the Center for American Progress, Asher Huey, a new media political consultant, Angelo Carusone, campaign director for Media Matters for America and founder of the Stop Glenn Beck effort, Christie Garton, editor and blogger for USA Today, Sarah Kessler, reporter for Mashable, Josh Koster, managing partner at Chong & Koster and AU alumna Megan Yarbrough, online campaigns associate at M+R Strategic Services.

“People are using the Internet to learn about politics. That’s not worth dismissing as slacktivism,” said Rosenblatt during the panel.

Carusone’s StopBeck.com campaign is a prime example of how social media is utilized for a cause. StopBeck.com uses Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to push sponsors to stop supporting Glenn Beck. On April 6, Fox News announced it will not be renewing Glenn Beck’s contract for his daily program, likely due in part to pressure exerted by StopBeck.com and other social media devices.

LINKING OUR WAY TO A BETTER WORLD: KEY TWEETS

Panelists: Angelo Carusone (@stopbeck), Christie Garton (@usatkindness), Richard Graves (@richardgraves), Asher Huey (@asherhuey), Sarah Kessler (@sarahfkessler), Alan Rosenblatt (@drdigipol), Megan Yarbrough (@misshealth)

@DARYNCAMBRIDGE In some countries what “we” (in US) think of “slacktivism” is actually quite high-risk and a powerful form of resistance.

@RANACHRONISM One pitfall of social media is you have a limited time to make your case. And audience has own intuitions

@BIVINGS what’s next: You gotta put some money into your social media campaigns…and embrace mobile

Huey, a blogger for Change.org,  has found social media creates a new form of activism. “Slacktivism is demeaning and was created by people who doesn’t understand the tools to use it,” he said. “Politicians — especially old-school politicians — are terrified of social media.” Panelists agreed, saying that those who created the rules of social media do not understand social media.

Huey uses different social media tools in different ways; for Facebook, he finds he can build email lists based off of what people like, whereas with Twitter and blogs, he sees direct advocacy and results. On Twitter, Huey has around 1,200 followers, which he notes is a pretty small number comparatively. “Online tools engage so many more people,” said Huey.

The group of activists, bloggers, students and teachers at the Social Media Learning Summit agreed: education is key for using social media to affect change. The same enthusiasm for activism that past generations had can be translated today through Facebook and Twitter. Social media will not change the world. Those who change the world will be using social media.