Generation Z is often hailed as “the activist generation,” but social media has complicated what activism looks like. In recent years, major humanitarian crises have gone viral, only to be forgotten just as quickly by those who are unimpacted. While Gen Z has unparalleled access to information and powerful platforms for change, social media has enabled a wave of performative activism, where urgent global issues become fleeting trends rather than catalysts for sustainable action.

Performative activism is centered on aesthetics, lacks any real sort of action and focuses on preserving one’s self-image rather than the actual cause. On social media, it means posting for appearance, not action or education. But, it is often motivated by social pressures, or the fear of being called out by peers.

So many issues get trivialized because of performative activism. They are treated as trends, rather than real people who are suffering. 

One major example of performative activism, both for Gen Z and other generations, was #BlackoutTuesday for Black Lives Matter in June 2020. Millions of people posted black squares with no context other than #BlackoutTuesday or other related hashtags as a caption. Engagement was short-lived for many, deleting the posts after what they considered an appropriate amount of time, or after criticism for being performative. The trend caused more harm than good because the millions of black squares drowned out important resources being posted under the hashtag.

This was not the only performative activist focused trend with negative consequences. Many international conflicts have been treated as trends, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, and the 2022 Iranian protests for Mahsa Amini. Emojis, flags and infographics flood timelines, but with the quick turnover of internet trends, the causes are forgotten in weeks. Complex crises are flattened into digestible content, only to then be ignored.

Even what may seem like a harmless trend, the ice bucket challenge, is really performative activism. Whether it was for ALS in 2014 or for University of Southern California’s mental health club these past few weeks, the trend sparked no real action for most participants. 

At its core, activism is about action. Gen Z has the tools and the research to spark real change, but too often that power is diluted by the urge to be seen as doing the right thing rather than actually doing it. Posting a black square or resharing an infographic may feel like solidarity, but without deeper engagement, it is just digital noise. 

Real change does not come from curated feeds. It comes from sustained effort, even when no one is watching.