Performative Activism: The Illusion of Awareness | Zhenrui Gu | TEDxSouth Delaware Street Youth
Is your activism actually making change, or just making a post? We currently live in an hyperconnected world where sharing a hashtag or posting an infographic on a social media platform can feel like activism, but does it actually help? Too often, these gestures are more about optics than actual, genuine impact. In this talk, Zhenrui Gu explores the reasons why individuals and corporations choose performative activism by giving examples from corporate Pride campaigns to Blackout Tuesday, citing movements like Blackout Tuesday, and reveal why awareness without action can stall real progress. Learn the psychology behind virtue signaling, the hidden harm of algorithm-driven advocacy, and discover how we can move beyond performance to create activism that is authentic, collective, and transformative. Because real change doesn’t happen when we perform it; it only happens when we live it. Zhenrui Gu is currently a junior at Hamilton High School whose main interests are in medicine, art, and community service. In school, she is heavily involved in Biology Olympiad, Imprints of Honor, and Speech and Debate, where she competes in Informative Speaking and Original Oratory, and serves as co-captain of Public Address. Outside of school, Zhenrui loves volunteering. Last year, started her own nonprofit, ArtMind, where she collaborates with support groups and senior living centers to use art to help improve the cognitive abilities of senior citizens in her community. In the future, she wants to pursue a career in medicine, especially as a neurologist. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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