Activism today looks very different than it did even just a few decades ago. The digital age has increased awareness of pressing issues, as people share causes on Facebook and tweet their indignation. Today’s so-called hashtag activism has its purpose, because awareness is crucial – the first step – to change. But what causes someone to take the next step, to stand up and take action that is physically real and impacting?

So wonders Participant Media, an activist entertainment company that produces socially significant documentaries such as The Square and Waiting for Superman. According to the New York Times, “Participant is developing a measuring tool that it calls the Participant Index.” The index aims to measure impact and engagement of issue-driven films, documentaries, online videos, and television programs. It is composed of three measures: audience size, media activity (both traditional and social), and a 25-minute survey taken by viewers about their emotional response and level of engagement after seeing the film.

The goal? To know what in particular drives people to action after viewing, so that filmmakers who want to make a real difference can more effectively incite change – beyond just Facebook likes. Documentarians, though they might not always know where a story will take them, want to instill their same passion – the vigor that drives them to create films in the first place – in their audiences to see issues in a new light, to think differently, and to act. Whether that be by spreading the word or getting up early on a Saturday to volunteer or even dedicating their skills over a lifetime for a cause, social issue documentaries should make their viewers not only feel the same fervor, but convince them that they too can make a difference.

We look forward to seeing the results of this index, and hope that the results will empower filmmakers, and in turn, their audiences, too.