Performative Activism and "Slacktivism"
Activists have become lazy with their support
Celebrities participate in performative activism
Performative activism has become a problem with the rise of social media. Less people are out protesting and fighting to make a change. Social media users tend to think that they have done enough by just hitting a share button. This is often referred to as participating in “slacktivism” rather than activism. People will post things or share things just to give off the illusion that they genuinely care or are passionate about a certain topic or issue, especially when it makes them look better to do so or is the “trendy” thing to do. This was the case with the Black Lives Matter movement over the summer of 2020. On Instagram, millions of people were posting black squares in solidarity with the movement and using hashtags to bring awareness to the movement. Posting a black square in support does not mean much if you are not speaking out against racists within your friend group, coworkers, and general community. It is important to put your support into actions and help black lives within your circles. People that were helping to organize the movement actually were upset over the black squares flooding the hashtags because it was drowning out important information. It became more difficult for people to find organizations to donate to in support of the movement. Location and date information about protests and meet ups became harder to find. It is very beneficial that people have access to so much information about things that are going on in the world and movements that are occurring. Because of the ease of access, it is easy to share an infographic to your Instagram story about something going on in a third world country and feel like you’ve done enough. In the past, however, people felt like they were actually supporting movements and causes by donating money and attending protests. Many celebrities have been called out for participating in performative activism in the hopes that they do not get “cancelled”. By posting something, they feel like they have done their part in raising awareness for a cause. The rich celebrities are the ones in a better position to donate to and fund causes and charities, however.

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