Scrolling through TikTok, Instagram or Twitter often feels like the easiest way to stay updated on global conflicts or crises. Friends, influencers, and advocacy accounts flood social media fees with proclaiming solidarity and support. It seems like a call to action. Where reposting feels like the expected response. But does this form of advocacy truly lead to meaningful change?
But, resharing a post on Instagram is not going to save the world. It can help people learn about the topic, but you aren’t an activist just because you repost a story.
Social media gives users a platform to discuss topics they are passionate about. A post can start off the conversation and introduce people to a cause. Meaningful activism involves taking initiative to challenge systems and cooperate with people to create change for the greater good. This kind of work requires time, consistency and real sacrifice. Currently, online activism allows people to confuse minimal effort with change and initiative.
When people’s Instagram posts do not accurately reflect their behavior and real-life decisions, it’s just a performance. Posting a story about a political crisis and refusing to have an open discussion or donating to the cause people advocate for is hypocritical.
True change comes from hands-on action. It can come in many forms. At UM, clubs and organizations host fundraising events and informative workshops. There are sororities raising funds for philanthropy causes and student volunteers with campus nonprofits.
Despite this, people can still take different forms of action. Educating family and friends, boycotting companies, writing letters or calling representatives are all meaningful forms of activism. Reposting content should be a supplement to these activities, not a replacement for them.
“A specific example of our chapter’s impact is through our Anchor Splash Philanthropy week, where we raised over $25,000 in support of Service for Sight,” said Claudia Fonseca, philanthropy chair of Delta Gamma. “A portion of those funds directly benefit the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, helping expand access to vision rehabilitation services, educational programs and assistive technology for individuals with visual impairments in our local community.”
Public advocacy efforts from organizations like Greek life bring attention to important causes. Public advocacy is not equally accessible to everyone.
Not everyone is able to support a movement publicly or even make a post because it can risk people’s safety. This is especially true as ICE continues to target individuals and collect information in different ways.
Activism on social media can expose undocumented immigrants or activists to surveillance, making it dangerous for them to publicly support or engage in movements.
Social media can add a lot of significance to social movements, as was seen in the 2020 Black Lives Matter Protest. But the blackout Tuesday screen on everyone’s feed was not a major factor of change. Rather, it was the protest, donations, awareness and education that came with action.
Now, political movements feel like a trend where people give attention for a brief moment and forget all about it for the next big issue. Celebrities wore pins at the Grammys and some gave speeches showing support for a cause, leaving people questioning whether this was activist or merely a performance. Many of our favorite celebrities engage in performative activism and leave it there.
Without action such as donating, volunteering or using their influence to create systemic change, their involvement becomes little more than a publicity stunt. This leaves a cycle where the issue becomes fashionable for a short time, only to be replaced by the next trending cause.
Every so often an “all eyes on ” will be circulating Instagram stories with an AI-generated image that has millions of reposts. The trendy repost story is pushed higher, and the educational post explaining the situation is pushed down.
The media works with algorithms. If a political issue is a trend, those algorithms often magnify the performance tendency. The more interaction a post has, the more it will be pushed by social media platforms. The algorithm keeps individuals in a chamber of limited exposure to perspectives, creating polarization and posing a direct threat to successful organization.
A few years ago, movements like Black Lives Matter and the Ukraine-Russia war were everywhere on our timelines. But now, they’ve been pushed aside to make room for the next big crisis or movement, quickly forgotten as new issues take over.
How long before people stop discussing Gaza and Israel or ICE?
Social media is a vessel to export information to the masses, but it should not be the sole tool used to drive change, as it will just lead to a false sense of accomplishment. Discussion of social movements can lead to real action and education like lobbying or donations, but it will never be successful if it’s solely kept online.
As stated earlier, activism without change beyond social media is performative. Reposting a graphic or slogan, then doing nothing else is performative. Changing a profile picture for a cause just because it is trending, is performative. Giving the illusion of activism without meaningful action.
It’s time to get off your phone and advocate for what you believe, stand by your values and create change in your community.