Active Activism

BRINGING INSTAGRAM ACTIVISM OFF THE SCREEN AND INTO THE REAL WORLD

By Amanda Liebmann, Contributing Writer | Illustrated by Maya Hoffman

Since the dawn of handheld devices and user-generated content, the way we gather, share and take in information has evolved tremendously. The speed and spread of information can be used to create awareness and join individuals together. Social media, especially Instagram, has become a buzzing hotspot for spreading awareness about systemic racism, environmentalism, women’s rights and other world crises. However, the trendiness of awareness based posts poses ethical questions. Do the aesthetics of social media activism posts actually inform individuals? Or is this all just performative activism? Performative Activism are actions taken with the intention to increase one’s social platform instead of being motivated by the dedication to a certain cause.1 It is, at worst, a superficial way to look involved with a cause while doing the minimal amount of work.

This summer on #BlackOutTuesday, millions of people posted a black square under the hashtag on Instagram to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The #BlackOutTuesday hashtag merged with similar hashtags for the Black Lives Matter movement, such as #BLM and #BlackLivesMatter, causing popular hashtags used for information sharing to conglomerate.2 While posts under this hashtag may have been well-intended, some argued that the aesthetic of all-black squares lost meaning and purpose as they flooded Instagram.3 Informational graphics and protest information was quickly buried under an endless amount of black squares. Not only was this information difficult to find, but influencers and other social media users posted these black squares and never again addressed systematic racism on their feeds.

While this is one specific example of performative activism, the message remains the same: Sharing content without any intention to change your actions, thought processes or to go out in the real world and make change is irresponsible and insulting to a given movement. As McKenna Kelley wrote for SWAAY, “If you refuse to implement

2 Rebecca Jennings, “Who are the black squares and cutesy illustrations really for?” Vox, June 3, 2020. 3 “#BlackOutTuesday And Performative Activism.” The Organization for World Peace. your newfound education on racism in real-life environments and not just on social media, then you are not an ally.”4 Taking activism into the ‘real’ world is a necessary and critical component in furthering a movement and better educating yourself. This can look like speaking up and having difficult conversations with family and friends, educating yourself on a given subject, donating to a cause and signing petitions. It’s also important to listen to new perspectives other than your own, so following organizers and influencers of a movement or listening to a podcast is another great way to further educate yourself.5 The power of social media can be a positive tool for society if we use it correctly. It gives us each a platform that we can utilize to inspire those around us. Social platforms serve to inspire us as individuals as well — by forcing ourselves to listen, reflect and look up off our screens and into what we can do in the real world.■

4 Kelley, McKenna. “Performative Activism Is Basically Silence. Here’s Why.” Swaay. Swaay, July 2, 2020. 5 Editorial, SWAAY. “Ally Resources For Supporters Of Black Lives Matter.” Swaay. Swaay, June 17, 2020.