Social Media and Performative Activism

By Grace Baek

Portola High School

For the past few months, the world has been bustling with news-- from the #BlackLivesMatter movement to the recent Lebanese crisis-- and social media has been at the very core of these revolutionary movements. 

Social media not only provides an outlet to voice raw opinions, but it is now the fastest method of publicizing an issue to become viral, when all it takes is a couple of clicks to get millions around the world to see. Unlike any other generation, this new method of communication has prompted the younger generation, who are most proactive on these types of social media platforms, to open their eyes and get involved with the world. And the following effects have been tremendous. 

While social media is becoming a medium for important issues to become trending in order to raise awareness, performative activism also seems to be becoming a trend. 

Just one example is the #BlackoutTuesday hashtag that became trending a few days after the death of George Floyd. The original intention of the hashtag was to post a picture of a black square in order to offer more opportunity for posts from people of color to be seen. However, the effect was countered when thousands of people began posting the black square along with the #blacklivesmatter hashtag, which led to important information being censored. 

Ironically, some people took the time and effort to show support for the BLM movement on social media, yet did not do the same to educate themselves, sign petitions, or donate to organizations-- the things that really matter. While the #BlackoutTuesday had been reposted more than 28 million times, signatures for the Justice for George Floyd petition had barely reached 13 million. 

This is not the only example. Attention on social media seems to die down as quickly as they ignite on fire. So, out of the people that are reposting such social media, how many are actually taking action when it is not being showcased on such platforms? Especially when the original spark of some movements have died down on social media, how many are continuing to advocate for change?

Nonetheless, it is undeniable that social media is a powerful tool for change. There are much more individuals who do take action behind social media and even those that become aware of such issues through these platforms. However, we must utilize this tool effectively when it is easy to turn righteous rage and political passion into bland hashtags and likes.