Notes on a Thought

Infographics, Empty Voices and Redundant Actions: Thoughts on Performative Activism on Social Media Disclaimer: I want to be careful here to not insert myself as an overbearingly loud voice in an extremely important issue. This article has its basis in my own experiences, and that is all I have grounds to discuss. It may be an understatement to say that summer 2020 brought vital social issues to the forefront of conversation. The murder of George Floyd, at the hands of U.S police, prompted much support for the already established Black Lives Matter movement. People took to the streets and to social media to protest. At the height of lockdown, activism was limited for some individuals due to concerns about Coronavirus. With individuals spending even more time on social media, one of the only forms of social interaction or access to the outside world, virtual activism gained more traction than I have ever seen. Information, shows of solidarity, expressions of compassion, all flooded soci...

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to invalidate anyone’s experience with racism and race identity struggle. I understand that as a mixed person with lighter skin my experience will not have been nearly as bad as other POC. I intended only to share my thoughts on what being mixed race has meant for me. Much of my identity consists of names. Names are a strange thing. We use them as a means of address and a means of understanding. Once we know the name of something we can allocate it to a specific space, a specific category and thus understand it better. The same can be said for people and for racial identity. People love to know “where you are from” so you can be put in your box, understood. My names are confused and contradictory because my identity is split. My mother’s family is from the Punjab in India and my father is from Suffolk, England. I am both a minority and a white person. I am part of two distinctly different boxes, or as my white cousin once called me, in a strange...

Since age 12, when my best friend introduced me to indie music, I have felt the urgent need to be different, to stand out. Over time this has mutated, eventually becoming a paradox of deep insecurity and raging superiority complex. In many ways, the need to be different has served as a driving force for character development. In my search for originality, I have discovered authentic interests which I may not have done otherwise. But at the same time, this need has caused frequent, debilitating self-criticism. Wanting to be different, for me, results, in the constant comparison of myself to my peers. Comparison refers to appearance, style, music taste, hobbies and lifestyle. If I like something someone else presents, for example an outfit they wear, I can’t just appreciate it. Instead, my brain decides that this is a direct attack on my sense of self. If I am not doing what others are doing or doing it better, then they are better than me and I am no longer good enough. In the age of so...

Hi !! <3 I'm Jeevan, I'm a student studying English Literature and in desperate need of a creative outlet. Like most people, quarantine has driven me to pursue creativity. Blogging appealed as an easily accessible means of doing so. I’ve not written freely, outside of my degree, so the idea of starting a blog is daunting. But, I’m consumed with this idea that I must start something, and this is that! I want to use this space to share a few notes on some thoughts. Just some stuff from my brain, in some sensical way. :)