Sometimes I feel I belong to the last generation of Canadians who grew up with no internet, no real cable, no cell phones, etc. Being on this
generational cusp sometimes puts me, and Im sure so many more, in a weird position when it comes to our opinions, our ideals, our lifestyles and what
not. I'm able to use technology at an advanced level, but I also don't feel despair if I go without the tether of these advancements either.
That being said, one thing that I just cannot understand about the state of affairs right now is protest via technology, protest via social media,
etc. The last time I used social media was several years ago when Facebook was experiencing a wave of "protest" where it's users would change their
profile pictures to a cartoon in support of child abuse victims, or something closely related to that. This is the day I quit social media. At the
time I just thought it was ridiculous and boring to see all of these "Save the children" statements and cartoons, and I was over it, never to return.
As I thought about it over the years, and more online profile picture "protests" made headlines, the more I became enraged that this is what people
have turned to to protest anything.
These shows of support do nothing to help any given cause. At best, news media will pick up a story about it, and friends and acquaintances will make
claims of charity donation, etc. In reality, what you are really doing is making important causes into a flavour of the week, which people soon become
bored with.
Real protest still happens, and we can all participate if we want to. It takes less time to make a Bristol Board sign stating your stance on fracking
/feminism/freedom of speech/ anything, than it does to take that perfect make up free selfie to share with your friends in support of cancer research,
or to find yourself a scarf to fashion into a hijab to then take a perfect selfie in to post on Twitter with the hashtag
#imkindofskepticalofmuslimsingeneralbecauseofterrorismbutithinkilookwickedinthishijab.
I'm so sick of hearing about this type of "awareness campaign" or protest. The f#%^ with hashtags and selfies, if you feel strongly about something,
anything, own it. Go and stand for it, shout for it, campaign for it. Put real work into your passions; and if something is just a passing phase, and
you don't want to be the only person on social media who doesn't appear to support a fad cause, who cares!? Spend time doing what you love and see
your causes really take flight instead of wasting your ambitions taking selfies and make hashtags in support of nothing.
This thread was promoted on the ATS Twitter Feed with the following image:
edit on 17-2-2015 by SkepticOverlord because: added to twitter