Heidi Cuevas | PantherNOW
In an increasingly tense and polarized environment that has developed over the years, being an activist has become a necessity for many. Yet it can be difficult to tell the difference between real and performative activism when activism is no longer limited to the physical space.
Scrolling through social media to the many posts of one of the largest single-day protests in United States history known as the “No Kings” protest made me reconsider if I was doing enough to advocate for the causes that I believe in. As college students, most of our time is consumed by school while simultaneously trying to balance work and a social life, so it can feel difficult to do anything else.
So the question becomes “how can college students who are limited in time and money be activists”?
For one, we should understand what activism is versus performative activism. Activism has many definitions, but at its core is the pursuit of change in a substantial way through advocacy.
Performative activism, on the other hand, is when an individual is seeking to appear as an activist to maintain social standing through a surface-level commitment and understanding of the cause. In other words, they have no devotion to the cause they claim to care about.
The most common misconception is that all forms of digital activism are performative— but it’s really not.
Many of us tend to resort to social media to advocate for the causes we care about. Through posting, reposting, and liking, we try to take part in the protest or raise awareness about the causes we feel deeply about in the digital space. But most times it feels extremely performative to do so, making it easy to feel guilty about feeling like we’re not doing enough.
But digital activism has shown to be able to spark a larger, physical protest against injustices. We have seen it from the MeToo and the Black Lives Matter movements that began on our screens and quickly grew into global movements. Which means without the digital space and social media users sharing information on their platforms, these movements can have trouble getting momentum off the screen.
And off the screen, we can be activists through our everyday lives and choices.
Being aware of the values and core principles of the brands we buy from can help us make more mindful decisions in supporting brands that align with our causes. It is no surprise when brands tailor products to appeal to certain minority groups but have no intention of supporting the groups in any shape or form. The most common one being “Rainbow Capitalism” during Pride Month.
That’s why we should be more mindful of who and where we buy from. There are many brands, organizations, and small businesses that use their profits for causes ranging from protecting the environment, sustainability, mental health, gender equality, and human rights.
Despite the form of activism we may partake in, it comes with some sort of sacrifice. It can take a lot of time to join in on a protest, to choose to buy from different brands than those we have already budgeted for. Nonetheless, it is for a cause we care deeply about and are willing to advocate for change—publicly or digitally.
To be an activist in any space can be difficult, time consuming, and sometimes even dangerous when discussing controversial topics. However, we should make an effort to pursue real activism in any shape or form we can given the turbulent times we are in.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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