What could be better than empowering other women? As a grandmother, why wouldn’t I want to post a black and white selfie on Instagram, to show support for our new granddaughter and all women? #ChallengeAccepted
Except…what exactly is challenging about posting a selfie? Specifically what is the point of this summer trend on social media?
I admit that I jumped on the bandwagon and was initially eager to share this black and white photo of me and our grandchild. But as my feeds flood with copious selfies, I am doubting the efficacy of this fad.
A little bit of research yields the information that four years ago the same hashtag (also with black and white photos) was used to “raise awareness of cancer” (who hasn’t heard that cancer sucks?) and recently women in Turkey used a version of this campaign to raise awareness about violence against women.
But where is the call to action on these vanity posts? How does posting a beautiful selfie raise up others? How does my selfie give protection to Turkish women? Or defeat cancer?
What extra can I do in my own community to actually raise up more women? Support more women-owned businesses? Advocate for equitable access to higher education? Volunteer at a women’s shelter? Donate to international aid funds?
It takes work to get to know your neighbors, shop local, share what you have, ask for help when you need it. Actively taking a stand to build up your community may be uncomfortable and new. What effort can you make to effect a positive change?