BELL LET'S TALK

The Bell Let’s Talk campaign is the most popular and perhaps the most influential social media trend in Canada. For five years, this campaign has started countless conversations about mental health in an attempt to end the stigma around it. The campaign actively reduces ignorance and increases awareness by providing people with the opportunity to express themselves freely on the subject and to share their own stories. How do they do it, you ask? Through their vast social media platform, of course! The increasing success of the Bell Let’s Talk campaign is ultimately due to the spread of their hashtag (#BellLetsTalk) and the contribution of the public that follows.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Organization, 20% of Canadians will personally experience mental illness and every canadian is indirectly affected by it.(1) To demonstrate their support for those suffering, Bell Canada has stated they will contribute five cents for every tweet using the hashtag #BellLetsTalk, every share of the Facebook image for their campaign and every text sent or call made by Bell customers. Although five cents might not seem like much, it adds up quickly, especially with the seemingly endless increase in support on social media. In the five years of its running, BellLetsTalk has raised $73,623,413.80 in support of mental health initiatives across the country.(2)

The support of this initiative and those similar to it is essential to the progress of ours and of future generations. Mental Health is an issue that affects us all and it should be acknowledged and understood for what it truly is. It is time to concern ourselves with not only our own, but the psychological and emotional well-being of our loved ones, of our friends and even some strangers. As of late, suicide is the leading cause of death for canadians between the ages of ten and twenty four.(3) There is no doubt that it is time for this to change so, starting Wednesday January 27th, get out there and support #BellLetsTalk. With a simple hashtag, you have the power to change history and to save lives.

PRAY FOR-

Friday, November 13th 2015 marks the night 130 innocent lives were lost to ignorance, to injustice and ultimately to terrorism. On that night, groups of gunmen and suicide bombers launched several simultaneous attacks, striking a concert hall, a sports stadium and many restaurants and bars. Not only did these attacks result in the death of 130 people, but the injury of hundreds of others, in the name of the Islamic State Militant Group, otherwise known as ISIS. In recognition of these tragic events, the hashtag PrayForParis was created. This hashtag addressed the desperate need for peace, the consequences of intolerance, extremism and terrorism. The uprising and the outrage that stemmed from the tragedy and that was so openly expressed through social media and other outlets, influenced the French government to take a stand against such actions. Consequently, the French President himself expressed that the attacks in Paris could only be considered “Acts of War”.

However, these Acts of War were not limited to France. On that same day, another trend was created for Southern Beirut, where two suicide bombings claimed forty lives and the injured two hundred civilians. Shockingly, this trend did not receive nearly as much of the attention Paris did. Blame it on the death toll, or just plain ignorance, but when it came time for the internet to address the issues from that day, Beirut was considerably pushed aside. Apart from the creation of the PrayForBeirut tag, there was not much sympathy for Lebanon. Ironically, this is due to media and the easily spread stereotypes surrounding the middle east, making it known to be a place where terrorism is common. In doing so, we are not acknowledging that terrorism affects the world. This is not an issue specific to Europe or to any country, there is an ongoing battle for peace throughout the world which can only be won together. Extremists cannot be deterred by ignorance, for that is the very thing that fuels them. It is time to use media to our advantage, to push society in the right direction, to promote justice and equality for any and everyone. The spread of awareness by the PrayFor- tags is only the beginning of a revolution.

JE SUIS CHARLIE

In Paris, on January 7th 2015, two brothers, armed with assault rifles, forcefully entered the offices of Charlie Hebdo, killing eleven people and injuring eleven others. This sparked much concern and controversy, as Charlie Hebdo is a satirical weekly newspaper known to disrespect culture and mock religion. The brothers used the nature of the paper to justify their attacks and openly identified themselves as part of the terrorist group known as Al-Qaeda. Consequently, four days later, an estimated 2 million people gathered in Paris and 3.7 million gathered throughout France to demonstrate their national unity and their support of Charlie Hebdo. This resulted in the creation of the hashtag JeSuisCharlie and the awareness of billions of people who both approve and disapprove of the actions taken in Paris.

Could the attacks be justified? Many say they could, for according to certain interpretations of Islam it is forbidden to depict Muhammad, which Charlie Hebdo has and will likely continue to do. Their content has always been controversial and relatively “left-wing” so, there is no doubt it would receive backlash. Nevertheless, there is a line, which has unquestionably been crossed in this situation. To protest the content of the newspaper is one thing, but to threaten the lives of hard-working men and women is another. Who is to say that all those who work in the Charlie Hebdo offices are as racist, sexist and bigoted as the content they produce? Therefore, despite the nature of Charlie Hebdo, the victims of this tragedy did not deserve what happened to them, no person ever could. For this reason, so many people are using the JeSuisCharlie hashtag to show support, recognition and sympathy.

It is often said that there is strength in numbers, and as information regarding the Charlie Hebdo tragedy is spread, so increases the support, awareness and sympathy throughout the world. The use of the JeSuisCharlie tag has undeniably unified not only the population of France, but also that of the entire world.

FEMINISM VS MENINISM

"Ah yes, the feminist movement, one characterized by unshaven legs, lesbianism and the indisputable hatred of all men." -A Meninist, probably

These are but a few of the incredibly untrue stereotypes that surround feminism and attempt to discredit members of the movement. The spread of these among the public in regards to the feminist movement is largely due to social media and poor communication. As a result, mock movements have been created and led by misguided individuals who justify their ignorance by claiming that men and women are already equal. These people, who call themselves “Meninists”, openly accuse feminists of misandry, despite the movement’s essential belief that all women and men should have equal rights and opportunities. In doing so, “Meninism” contributes to the inequality that the feminist movement has been combating for so many decades. Further, it does not only inconvenience women in society, but the ignorance that fuels Meninists promotes hypermasculinity. This is a dangerous concept, which could be a considerable cause for the shockingly high male suicide rates, with an estimated 3000 male lives lost per year in Canada alone. The reluctance of men to seek help and to admit vulnerability has resulted in these unfortunate losses. Though, the undeniable truth is, these rates would not be so high if men did not feel it necessary to seem tough and strong, and if they were more comfortable admitting their humanity and their feelings. Essentially, Meninism is the result of internalized sexism and ignorance, one of the many causes of inequality in modern day society and ultimately a toxic trend.

On the other hand, internet trends such as HeForShe and YesAllWomen have been informing the public of the misguided ignorance and misogyny that so greatly influences our society. The YesAllWomen tag has and will continue to be used to provide real life examples of gender bias and misogyny and how it may affect men and women today. Further, the HeForShe tag addresses the desperate need for not only equality, but justice for women throughout the world. These internet trends contribute to and reinforce the ongoing battle for equality between the sexes by providing direct examples of injustice and the wrongful treatment of women. Celebrities such as Emma Watson, John Legend, Beyonce and so many more stand strong with the feminist movement and all its sections, thus promoting equality on a global scale. Thanks to the internet and the simple spread of information through trends, the feminist movement is becoming more and more influential! A hashtag a day keeps Meninists away!

BLACKLIVESMATTER

Seven-hundred and seventy-six. It’s the number of african americans killed by police in the United States throughout 2015, one hundred and sixty one of which were unarmed. These numbers average out to three people murdered per day, thus bringing into question the efficiency and the reliability of American police and fuelling the internet trend known as #BlackLivesMatter.

The trend was first used in the summer of 2014, by Alicia Garza as a response to a Facebook post involving the Trayvon Martin Case and the acquittal of his killer, George Zimmerman. Little did Ms. Garza know, she had just created the banner for one of the most influential and prevalent social justice movements since the 1960s.The tag encompasses not only the issue of police brutality but also of racial equality and bias within American society. As a result, it has paved the way for similar hashtags and movements such as #SayHerName, #FreddieGray, #MichaelBrown and #TamirRice etc. , all in reference to black lives lost to police brutality.

There is no denying the necessity of this movement. It is shedding light on an issue that has proven historically capable of destroying culture and eradicating any notion of equality. Although it is no longer 1920, the creation of BlackLivesMatter demonstrates that white supremacy is alive and well, that racism is and will remain an issue until further action is taken. In 2014, Alicia Garza did not only create a hashtag, she started a revolution. This woman, took the flame that was #BlackLivesMatter and spread it like wildfire. Thanks to social media, the world is talking about Michael, Tamir, Sandra and so many more of the lives lost to police brutality and racist ideals. Throughout the United States, people of all races and cultures have been in the streets protesting unjust deaths within the black community, demonstrating that the movement for racial equality has not ended and that demanding that justice be served. There have been riots in Baltimore, New York, Ferguson begging for a change in their community and a well deserved chance at achieving the American Dream. BlackLivesMatter is a revolution created by social media to educate, inspire and inform current generations and those to come. With every mention of this movement, a new piece of history is written.