Say NO to Performative Activisim
We live in a world where social media makes information more accessible than ever before. This means that we can have current news, events, and trends at our fingertips. The question is, do we know the difference? Performative activism continues to rear its ugly head time and time again. We tend to see it every few months from celebrities, brands, and companies around the world acting as if they care about social causes when they’re really seeking monetary or even political gain. Today we're chatting about what performative activism is, how to recognize it, and what we can do as a community to use social media properly as a tool to bring awareness and actual change.
What is Performative Activism
So you may be wondering what performative activism is, or what actions qualify as performative activism. No worries, we will be covering all that and more! So what exactly is performative activism a.k.a performative allyship? Well first, let’s talk about what it’s not. Merriam-Webster defines an activist as a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change. These are the people that you see talking about societal issues all of the time, not just when they’re “important.” These are individuals who have boots on the ground and are knocking from door to door. They’re going to rallies and organizing peaceful protests. They’re workers.
According to Urban Dictionary, performative activism is “when someone uses a ‘woke’ cause to ensure their social following knows that they care when actually all they care about is their status and the number of likes that they will get. Wiki says that its activism is done to increase one's social capital rather than because of one’s devotion to an actual cause. It is often associated with surface-level activism, referred to as “slacktivism.” The term was coined in the wake of the George Floyd protests and all of those squares you saw all over Instagram. Register Forum states that individuals who participate in performative activism use causes and societal issues, more often than not a tragedy, to gather attention, support, and even monetization. Little to no research is ever done to actually educate their audience on the issue at hand so members of the community can take appropriate action.
Why is Performative Activism a Hinderance
The main issue with performative activism is that it's disingenuous. It’s posting a crying picture after another tragedy and not donating to the cause. It’s putting on a performance that you think your audience wants and not educating yourself on the ways to rally for change. A huge gap exists between posting a hashtag and joining community action. It also makes very important societal issues and causes a superficial trend that’s whittled down to a meme and a catchy caption. Our friends at Register Forum state it perfectly by saying “there’s a vicious cycle of people doing the bare minimum; allowing social media users to be overexposed to certain issues, numbing their significance.”
Remember all of those black squares that were posted on Instagram shortly after George Floyd's death? What would happen if those individuals would have used that energy to sign the petition instead of posting on Instagram. Consequently, people all over the world were using #BlackLivesMatter which hid vital information, petitions, and organized rallies from supporters without bringing about any change. There were millions of black squares posted during that time. If those same people would’ve signed the petition there would have been over 19 million signatures.
Here are some other examples of performative activism:
Obligatory pictures for Heritage Months
Logo color/profile changes
Street Murals
Phrases on Courts/Fields
Posting on social media isn’t and wasn’t enough in that specific fight. Performative activism usually amounts to no change and little impact, which is the exact opposite of what activism actually means.
How We Can Do Better
We now know what performative activism is and the problems and obstacles that arise at a time when intention means everything. RDW Group chats about how we can actually evoke change for the better and things to think about before participating in social activism:
What is the purpose of our social activism campaign?
● Figure out what makes your organization passionate, motivated, and committed to this particular movement.
Whose voices are we amplifying?
● Your organization should support causes that are aligned with its ethics and values. It is imperative that your organization gives the movement a platform for its voice to be heard.
What can my organization do internally to solve this issue?
● Identify ways your organization can promote diversity in the workplace. Some ideas might be educating your employees through diversity and ally training or engaging in constructive conversations about social issues.
● Develop more inclusive hiring strategies and strengthen your policies.
What can my organization do externally to solve this issue?
● Communicate with your local community members on what work needs to be done. Invite shareholders, consumers, and investors to join the cause by involving them in the movement and spreading the message.
● Encourage volunteerism amongst your colleagues and sponsor activist events
If you want to be a true activist and create change, you can do so by going to protests, signing petitions, and participating in any of the activities above within your community. We know that social media isn’t the enemy here. In fact, it’s important to utilize social media to bring awareness and spread news, but like any tool, it’s only effective when used properly. Have you unknowingly participated in performative activism or know someone who has?
What steps do you think can be taken to evoke real change in the future? Let us know!
Always In Your Corner,
The Content Queens
