I was thinking a bit about class today and wanted to share this link:
You may remember back to last October when your lady friend's status updates simply stated a color. Turns out they were listing the color of their bra's in an attempt to raise awareness about breast cancer. This year you may have noticed status updates noting where the FB user "liked it"; another attempt at raising breast cancer awareness.
This link, Risqué Without Risk, addresses three problems with this particular brand of Facebook Activism:
*The gendering, reifying, and branding of disease;
*The oversexualization (and consequently, the trivialization) of women's issues and bodies;
*The disinterested, low-risk, low-engagement pseudo-activism made all too easy (and commonplace) by social media.
While I think it's great to increase awareness of cancer, I worry that sometimes the interception of popular culture and societal issues diminishes/confuses/distracts from the specifics related to the issue at hand. As we continually negotiate our relationship with new media, I believe we need to keep in mind not only actions, but also impact.
I've given this issue a lot of thought as well. On one hand, it's nice to know that people care enough to acknowledge these things but on the other hand, I truly hope that we aren't losing sight of the severity of the issues at hand.
ReplyDeleteI actually just participated in the "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk today on Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. It was so powerful and inspiring, and it makes me cringe to think that anything so serious could ever be taken lightly or not fully considered.
As much as I like to think that kids sporting "Boobies" bracelets have given complete thought to the meaning beyond the fad, I find it hard to believe. Nonetheless, this is a fairly innocent mistake because 1. They are almost definitely not making fun of the issue, 2. The money raised is going to charity, and 3. They have at least considered the concern at face value.
Although I would love for these fads to come with full understanding of such heart-wrenching topics, I can't be too disappointed in today's youth for following them.
To me, it seems like certain serious issues, like this one, are becoming slightly trivialized by the amount of attention they are getting through social media and popular culture. Although they are gaining recognition, there are many people who are only following or "supporting" these causes because they are a trend that many of their friends have caught on to (as someone mentioned in class today.) But, because social media and the alike is so popular in today's society, and keeps the interest of many younger citizens, it is almost becoming a necessary way for organizations to reach the public. I think, that as long as people are not doing these things completely blindly, and are at least doing a little bit of research about the topics, that's a start.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what Michelle said above. It's really important for people to still find the time to support these organizations in the flesh, because we don't want to completely lose touch with these types of events like the breast cancer walks, because of the over-use of social media.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of like the debate we had in class about video games the other day... as long as people are able to find a balance between being active and venturing outside of the house, as well as playing these games, there really isn't any harm in the situation. It's when we start abusing these luxuries that we start to see problems.
I completely I agree. I think especially when dealing with younger generations, to not lose focus on the topic at hand, there is no need for something that may be perceived in a wrong or negative way. People can become easily distracted and may end up doing things for all the wrong reason, forgetting the important cause, such as breast cancer awareness
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