Digital activism and intergenerational perspectives on social justice and racial equity among multicultural youth

Although digital activism is increasingly creating unique opportunities and widening the scope of its social and political influence on institutions and corporations, it also unmasks emerging fault-lines around generational perspectives on social, economic and political differences. Multicultural youth in Australia have long been part of advocacy work, and the COVID-19 pandemic – which brought social and racial inequalities to the forefront of public discourse – was no exception. But contemporary social justice movements are transforming, both in their increasingly digital manifestation, and in their targeting of governments, institutions and even civil society. This paper examines these shifting perspectives through a case study on ACTIF,Footnote1 an Australian community-based organisation that advocates for multicultural youth and facilitates their engagement in social justice issues. Social media backlash on ACTIF’s platforms during the pandemic revealed tensions within the organisation and exposed intergenerational differences in approaches and views on gender equality and racial justice issues. Findings from this paper contribute to evolving academic and policy discourses on multiculturalism in Australia and offer more nuanced insights into social justice activism from an intergenerational perspective.