Civic Responsibility trends through digital solidarity: the case of Greece during the economic and social crisis, Eleni-Revekka Staiou, Evika Karamagioli, Dimitris Gouscos, Media in Transition 10, Democracy and Digital Media, May 17-18, 2019, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, USA

1. Civic Responsibility trends through
digital solidarity: the case of Greece
during the economic and social crisis
Dr. Eleni Revekka Staiou [erstaiou@media.uoa.gr]
Dr. Evika Karamagioli [karamagioli@gmail.com]
Assistant Prof. Dimitris Gouscos [gouscos@media.uoa.gr]
HELLENIC DEMOCRACY
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCES
FACULTY OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES
LABORATORY OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION AND THE MASS
MEDIA
Democracy and Social Media, MIT, 17/05/2019 #mit10

2. What kind of crisis are we talking about?
‣ Economic
‣ Social
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3. Ηow the Greeks responded to the crisis
‣Greek ciIzens are counIng about 10 years of crisis
‣Μajor changes have taken place in their daily lives
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4. Some staIsIcs
‣ ReducIon of household income (2009-2014): -42%
‣ 1 out of 3 people in Greece are in poverty or social exclusion
‣ Unemployment: 18.5% (39.5%, age 15-24)
‣ 50% has difficulty paying emergency needs or paying loans and credit cards
‣ 25% finds it difficult to have good heaIng in his home
‣ 30% finds it difficult to pay his rent
‣Birth deficit
‣Increased suicides
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5. State
‣ No longer has the resources to cover all the problems and needs
that arise
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6. SoluIon (for Greeks, at least…)
‣ Civic Responsibility
‣ Solidarity
‣ Self-Organising
‣ Digital Solidarity
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7. ParIcular characterisIcs of Greek society's reacIon
to the crisis
‣ Self-organising, not organising through formal (poliIcal) groups or parIes
‣ Not just protest, but pracIcal, tangible soluIons (going beyond acIvism…)
‣ No poliIcal tone
‣ Basic pracIcal and psychological needs
‣ Solidarity for the fellow ciIzens, for the fellow humans
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8. Examples…
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9. Examples of self-organising iniIaIves [563 IniIaIves]
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1. human rights
2. infirmaries
3. medication
4. cooked food
5. canned food
6. shelters
7. groceries
8. clothing
9. recruitment agencies
10. bypassing middlemen in trade
11. alternative currencies/exchanges
12. exchanging items
13. exchanging services
14. lessons
15. time banks
16. carpooling
17. bicyclism
18. art and culture
19. city care
20. nature care
21. miscellaneous

10. What about the digital part of the story…?
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11. How these iniIaIves used internet and social media
for their communicaIon?
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12. How these iniIaIves used internet and social media
for their communicaIon?
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13. Help or obstacle?
‣ Making their presence known
‣ Finding donors
‣ Finding people in need
‣ Finding others like them
‣ Exchange of know-how
‣ Not enough Ime
‣ Not enough (competent) people
‣ Do not know what content to
share
‣ Can not decide which media best
fit their acIons
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14. Use or no use?
‣ believe that social media is a
good way to convey their
message to more people
‣ believe that interpersonal contact
inspires greater trust
‣ mostly operaIng in small
communiIes, believe that
personal interacIon funcIons
beger as they already know
each other and prefer “word of
mouth” adverIsing
‣ know that many people
concerned can not access the
internet
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15. Use them or not?
‣ They want but they don’t know how to do it right
‣ They are afraid
‣ They don’t have the means to use them
‣ Organised social solidarity for maximum impact
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16. 10 principles for using social media for
civic responsibility and digital solidarity
Keeping in mind that we are talking about special audience
and special and sensiIve topics
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17. 1. Specific goals
2. Right Social Media choice
depending on audience/
content/goals
3. No need to say too much
4. Humans are talking to humans
5. Be real-Storytelling
6. Transparency
7. PaIence and insistence
8. Open eyes and ears
9. Quality content
10. Personal VS Professional
Democracy and Social Media, MIT, 17/05/2019 #mit10
10 principles