Survival Is Not A Trend

It is no secret that consumerism has existed for many many years in different forms, but if there is one thing I have realised lately, it's that the internet has accelerated this in different ways.

From climate change, to sexual harassment movements, Black Lives Matter, and every scandal ever, some people in this age of technology cannot get enough of stories and trends they can consume and never have to care about again (at least until history repeats itself). People still seem to live by the notion that if it doesn't affect me then it is not my problem. But turning your backs on issues only fuels them further. A poem by Martin Niemöller in 1946 speaks volumes for the times we are in now.

First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me

and there was no one left

to speak out for me.

Turning away from issues that don't impact you directly is turning your back on community, injustice and most of all humanity. If you refuse to fight for other people's corner, then there will be no one there to fight for yours. Not everyone has the choice to act or feels like they will make a difference, but you give up your power by thinking that you have none.

We have gone through countless cycles of realisation that the climate crisis is real and the impending destruction of life as we know it for generations to come is around the corner, yet it only comes in waves of action. It's very easy to jump on a bandwagon of caring about turtles and not using plastic straws, but creating real change, demanding that policies be put in place and companies and organisations do better is more important now than ever. It's okay to feel like you don't know enough about what is going on especially when it comes to all the science, but in the words of Greta Thunberg "to do your best is no longer good enough, we must all do the seemingly impossible."

Education is the most important thing that can change all the things we talk about online. Deciding to be interested in a social injustice to be seen as doing your part is not good enough, and it is not right. If you really cared about these issues, then you should be caring about them with your whole chest, not avoiding being political for the sake of your Instagram page, or not wanting to say anything because you're too afraid of being wrong or called out on your mistakes (I am referring largely to the BLM movement here). Have humility, hold yourself accountable, allow yourself to be vulnerable in these situations in order to learn and grow. That is the most important thing you can do as a human being, grow.

As someone who has watched social media explode into the world through major years in my life, it is tiring to see people only seem to care about something as long as it fits in with their aesthetic or feed, or won't cost them followers or views. We must understand that these issues aren't just happening through a screen, they are real and affect real people with real lives, just like you and me. Everyone that can do their part should do their part to be an ally in any matter that they believe in. We must all do better and help lift each other and this planet up if society stands any chance, anywhere.