Performing, a concept where one steps into another’s shoes for an allotted amount of time, is often thought of taking place on stages and theatrical productions – but lately, the term has evolved.

If you’re as chronically online as most adolescents are (according to the CDC, “about one-half of teenagers had 4 hours or more of daily screen time) when you think of the term performative, you may often associate it with someone toting an iced matcha and wearing a knit quarter-zip that makes them feel more connected to the feminist literature piece that they hope will make them look more progressive. This performative phenomenon exploded on TikTok and other social media in the summer of 2025, with “performative male” contests popping up in major cities, featuring people dressed in Clairo shirts, carrying tote bags, and listening to Lana del Rey in wired headphones. Herbyuss on Instagram posted a video about a performative male competition, the caption being “a man who performs masculinity in a way that feels ‘inauthentic.”

Danuiska Lambert, a junior at Grayslake Central High School, said that “being performative is a personality.” A personality where she can see that person doesn’t feel comfortable in, that heu are doing it for the attention they believe they’ll earn from these behaviors. Lambert herself said “quarter zips, matcha… It’s more of a personality… and is using objects to enhance how he looks to the public eye.” Lambert said she thinks the motivation behind performativeness is to “try and get attention.”

The concept of performativeness depicts the never-ending tale of wanting to appeal to one’s peers, but has turned into nothing but satire and jokes through social media, like the other 2025 online phenoms such as Dubai Chocolate and POP MART’S Labubu keychains. No matter the trend, many will try it either to conform or out of curiousity, but really all we can do is be ourselves and hope that others’ real personalities shine through.