Recently, I found myself watching a new episode of a podcast called “Emergency Intercom” that I usually really enjoy listening to. However, this time, a few distasteful jokes were said during the episode that rubbed me the wrong way.
During the podcast episode, two influencers started making jokes about people that have “fallen off.” They go on to mention Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai. These two activists are still very vocal about different causes, such as environmental issues and women’s rights, whether or not the camera is still pointing at them.
People actively stopped supporting Greta Thunberg once they realized her work and advocacy actually meant something to her and wasn’t performative and an act for fame.
However, the criticism that Thunberg received for not engaging in performative activism, a form of activism that is used for personal gain rather than actually having genuine support and care for the cause, is wrong. People should not pretend to care for world problems if it really doesn’t mean anything to them and they’re doing it for clout and fame.
With the upsurge of social media presences, performative activism has been on the rise, and with that comes several issues.
This can lead to the false impression of progress, which can cause endless cycles of injustice without consequences.
Not only is performative activism not doing anything for the cause, it also takes the focus away from people that are actively trying to help the cause. This damages the credibility of actual activists risking their lives for a change.
Why do people preach for things like human rights, climate change and equality when they are actively supporting brands that go against their morals and everything they stand for?
Instead of just agreeing to support an issue, people can make an actual difference by spreading useful information and volunteering at places that support a cause, such as food pantries, refugee camps and homeless shelters.
As a society, we all need to make more of an effort to volunteer and support brands and other people that have the same values as us. When we are volunteering, we need to do it because we care about supporting the cause, not just in order to get praise and validation.
