Un-genuine acts of activism are fatal. As social media continuously puts us in an endless loop of doom-scrolling and online addiction, we become more exposed to the abundance of horrific events and overwhelming negativity that circumvents our world. Along with that comes the increased desire to engage in such issues, but usually for various reasons. Said engagement is motivated by creating a meaningful impact, educating oneself and others, or aggrandizing one’s social status to fit in with the current trend—and this is what performative activism is all about. However, performative activism is not only a ridiculous and pretentious act; it carries more serious implications, being more damaging than existing as a bystander who does not participate or engage with any issues.
One of its fatal flaws is that it traps people in a whirlwind of fury without an outlet for anger or compassion. Nothing actually comes out of what is being done, instead, it only spreads hopelessness. As a result, it ends up placing us in a chasm of despair, surrounded by mountains of clapbacks where negativity is fought with negativity.
Performative activism erodes our critical thinking, making us unruly sources of misinformation and sensationalization. Most people who engage in such activism have a ubiquitous online presence and do not invest time or effort in educating themselves about the issue before getting engaged. This generates fear-mongering and misinformed narratives delivered to their audiences of thousands or millions, doing more harm than good. Especially with social media, advancements in AI have made it easier to deceive people through pristinely edited videos and photographs, which are used to gain charity and pity from others.
Right-wing social media personality Juanita Broaddrick, with 1.4 million followers, shared in a now-deleted tweet a photo of a supposed weeping girl carrying a puppy during Hurricane Helene saying, “We have to help these victims. Comrad Kamala and Sleepy Joe have deserted them.” However, experts immediately refuted this, pointing out it was an AI-generated image used as propaganda. Not only does it spread misinformation, but it also highlights people’s concerningly low media literacy, especially in the digital age.
Activism done out of pretentiousness mocks issues as it is seen as a mere trend and a scheme to advance one’s social capital. I remember scrolling through tens of my mutual friends’ Instagram stories, where most of them posted a story saying, “Share this if you support the Black Lives Matter Movement. I can see those who view my story and know if you share this.” People participating in this may feel like they are contributing to the cause, but it merely reeks of insincerity and insensibility. Sharing such posts and acting as a watchdog for those who refuse to do the act does not make one good person or endow one with more entry points to heaven. It only denigrates the suffering of the people affected by the issue and turns it into a spectacle to be feasted on by bandwagon jumpers and social climbers.
These effects of performative activism are as harmful as, or even worse than silence or being a bystander, and ignorant as they contribute to misinformation and sensationalism.
The difference between performative activism and true activism lies in the intention one has when participating in these types of engagements. There is nothing wrong with sharing posts about certain issues and speaking up about something you previously never spoke up about. But if those actions do not come from a place of critical thinking and integrity, it’s better to keep it to yourself and educate yourself first. True activism must come from our genuine and sincere desires to create an impact through our actions and continue past a simple moment of engagement. It should not be seen as a way to deliver a performance for the sake of improving our social status or following the trend.
