After President Donald Trump signed multiple executive orders following his inauguration, people took to social media to share their concerns and hopes for change.
Some called for revolution.
Some were just hoping to see a boost in their likes.
Performative activism, according to Boston Medical Center, is defined as activism used to increase social reputation rather than because of one’s devotion to a particular cause. Users engaging in this type of activism let it be known that they are not prejudiced, but never seem to seek to change the prejudicial structures they are supposedly against.
A prime example of this performative activism was #BlackoutTuesday back in 2020.
Blackout Tuesday, originally a project set forth by two black music executives, was created in order to disconnect from social media and reconnect with the Black community after the death of George Floyd.
While many took to Instagram to support the cause, others were disconnected from its true purpose.
A sea of nearly 29 million black squares with captions of understanding and sympathy flooded #BlackLivesMatter. While there was no ill-intent with these shouts of solidarity, these black squares monopolized the tag and buried important information about protests and petitions at the height of a vital movement for civil rights in the 21st century.
The political unrest of 2020 has come back full-circle to 2025’s youth. In the few days since his inauguration, President Trump signed executive orders at lightning speed in attempts to reverse legislation from the Biden administration, and align the government with the new administration’s goals.
These executive orders are radical changes, including pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, locking down the southern border and attempting to end birthright citizenship. Additionally, upon Trump’s return to office, raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement went up exponentially in major cities.
Americans took to TikTok to voice their fears and anger over Trump’s agenda in his first week in office. Some posts were very straightforward in sharing disappointment and calls for change.
Others had to be decoded.
Many political videos on TikTok did not blatantly express a call to action or instructions to petition and protest — they just simply asked viewers to wear out ‘cute winter boots.’ At first glance, you’d assume that is simply safe fashion advice for the snowy days to come. In actuality, posters are calling for a revolution.
‘Cute winter boots’ is a code for political chatter on TikTok. Allegedly, since President Trump signed an executive order returning TikTok to the phones of American users, the For You Page has been censored and videos partaking in anti-Trump conversations are being removed and shadowbanned.
Users under this ‘winter boots’ tag typically use an audio clip of novelist Rudyard Kipling’s poem, ‘Boots’, being read by actor Taylor Holmes from 1915. The audio is eerie — Holmes’ emotion mixed with Kipling’s repetition creates a concoction sure to make the hairs on the listener’s arms stand up. It’s the perfect audio to put over a video you’d want an anxious eye to catch.
While these posts succeed at fear mongering and hastening political unrest, they are not actually doing anything to defy or reform Trump’s policies.
It’s understandable to use code words in order to disguise political opposition to undermine censorship — democracy allows and encourages opposing discourse, and censoring the media is a violation of those values.
However, these videos don’t contain any information about protests, donations or petitions. They do not contain information about Trump’s administration from reputable sources — it’s just someone looking into a camera, three irrelevant words plastered on screen and hundreds of thousands of likes.
What revolution is expected if no relevant information is shared?
It’s not always realistic to directly support a cause. Not everyone has the funds to donate to charities and GoFundMes or the time or ability to attend organized protests. But there are still ways to bring advocacy to life rather than portray it as a trend. The easiest ways to start are contacting members of Congress, signing petitions and staying informed on government decisions through reputable news sources.
The state of the country is on shaky ground.
It is always important to be on guard and be knowledgeable about current events — especially right now. While social media is an amazing outlet for information regarding opposition, platforms and audiences can be taken advantage of by users wanting to amplify their social media following. These political trends distract from the grave matters at hand, furthering incompetency and aiding the oppressors long-term.
