Written by: Zahra Haroon
In a day and age where activism has largely moved to social media, with majority of young people getting their information from public figures, when does the line between informed activism and the act of following a trend become blurred?
There is no doubt that social media activism is impactful. It is an efficient way to spread awareness on current affairs that is not censored by the news media. Real people can have their stories heard and gain sympathy from a large online population. It also showcases the amount of solidarity behind various causes when many people start posting about it. However, the message can get lost along the way and online challenges can become trends bordering on ignorance, that do not help the cause.
In the past on Instagram, #ChallengeAccepted has been used to convey female solidarity with many women posting black and white pictures of themselves and tagging their friends to do the same. A few celebrities picked up on the trend which resulted in a surge of photos under this hashtag, claiming to be in support of female empowerment. While this is a meaningful message, the true cause of the challenge has been forgotten along the way and is now being criticised as another social media bandwagon for popular users to take part in.
This challenge recently gained momentum as a way to raise awareness about the Turkish femecides and a culture of violence against women. On July 21st 2020, a young Turkish woman was killed by her ex-boyfriend, an event that triggered an outrage. This was recognised as not being a freak occurrence and light was shone on the fact that the country has a high rate of femecides and domestic violence against women. The challenge of posting a black and white picture was meant to be in reference to the way femecide victims have their pictures shown in the media. To people who have seen this occurrence first hand, #ChallengeAccepted means a lot more than than a candid selfie, and the message of female solidarity is a very specific and personal one.
Accordingly, activism on social media should be taken up with responsibility. If you choose to advocate for a certain cause, it is your duty to educate yourself on its origin and message. Following a trend blindly may show an increasing amount of support for the movement, but overtime, the message gets lost. It is better to convey the right message rather than overshare one that is altered.