More recently, the "Me Too" movement has been taking social media by storm.
I know that when I first saw people submitting their statements and coming forward saying, "me too", I thought it was so touching. However, I was also naive in thinking that this movement is limited to rape.
The "me too" movement isn't just simply a statement saying "I have been raped". While this applies to the movement, it is so much more than that. It is a statement saying "if you have ever been in a situation where you have felt uncomfortable because someone was coming on to you and you didn't want it, we are here for you".
A lot of people have always felt uncomfortable coming forward and sharing their stories. A lot of people fear that if they come forward, others will think that they are just seeking attention. People are afraid to share their stories because of the aftermath. The "me too" movement provides a way for victims to come forward and share their stories in a community without judgment.
I think that a lot of girls don't even realize how powerful this is. Nowadays, sexual harassment is so common on college campuses. It can sometimes be disregarded as nothing. We think that it won't happen to us. Until it does. Until one day you're at a party and a drunk guy or girl comes onto you and grabs your hips and tells you to dance and you don't want to.
A lot of girls and guys feel guilty saying "me too". I know that every time I say it, I feel a little guilty too. I just feel like some people go through way worse situations than what I went through. My situation could've been much worse than it ended up being, so I feel guilty saying it.
However, I've come to realize that this isn't the point of the whole movement. The point is to provide security. No matter the severity of your situation, we all share something in common to some extent, and we know that we are not going through it alone. Everyone experiences some kind of emotional trauma from being touched without permission and without wanting it, and while some experiences escalated higher than others, the movement simply states that you are not alone.
We are naive to think it won't happen to us, as college students. Unfortunately, it happens every day, everywhere. The important thing is to recognize that it does happen quite frequently and that we just need to be aware of our surroundings.
The "me too" movement is meant to provide a sense of community for all those affected. Some don't even realize that they might be part of it, but the sooner we realize it, the sooner we can spread awareness.
And in case you were wondering, me too.
