This month, I have challenged myself to step outside the box of "gifts you need on your Christmas list this year" and "10 things that change about Christmas when you get older". Though I have so much fun writing casual and fun BuzzFeed style articles, I want to dig deeper. I want to take on a "disclaimer December" and spend this month getting real. I want to write things that matter. I want to share my ideas with the world. And the vulnerability and transparency with my opinions, thoughts, and ideas are why I got into writing. I want to write things that make people think. I want to write in a way that impacts how people see the world.
First disclaimer of December :) This article shares MY thoughts and opinions that in no way reflect the ideals and opinions of organizations I am part of. I am writing this to share what has been on my mind lately. This is not targeted towards anyone specifically- just a general concern that has recently been on my heart. Thank you so much for being supportive of my creative expression and allowing me to be open on this platform.
'Tis the season for giving, and this time of year is particularly known for helping families not just survive but enjoy the holiday season. Being at such a large university, especially one in one of the poorest counties in the nation, has provided me with hundreds of opportunities to give back to the Athens- Clarke County community. I love spending my time doing things that matter- not just to me but to the lives I touch in the slightest measure. I think taking the time out of your life to invest in others' is important and helps make you a genuine human being in a world of consumerism and conceited characteristics.
~HOWEVER~ I believe in our social media-minded world, we have slowly pushed these philanthropy events onto a platform that shows more harm than good. Lately, it feels my Instagram and Facebook feed have been plastered with pictures of college kids with impoverished children with t-shirts representing the same organization and at events for charities across the community. I think this is wonderful. There is nothing I love more than watching my friends get excited about what they are doing and post to inspire others with their own passions. The issue with this is a couple of things.
Most of us were raised to believe not to discuss politics, religion, or money. Money is touchy. Everyone spends their money in different places. You may have college football season tickets while gawking over your friend's recent vacation. Though well off suburban families delight in different luxuries, that's not the case for many Americans. I volunteer at the Athens food bank to package meals and snacks for kids to take home on the weekends when school lunch is not provided. These kids don't always know where their next meal is coming from. Athens-Clarke County takes on a 50% poverty rate which is 17% higher than the state of Georgia's. This is a problem. And these are real people. These are real kids. Real families.
To my original point, I have seen hundreds of philanthropic photos on Instagram. Their poverty is not your popularity. Take the filters off of them and take a second to pay attention to what's underneath. We help our community by doing what we can, but we shouldn't publicize their circumstances. Their economic turmoil in their family is a private matter. This is a scary time for these children. This is a season of starvation. These issues are not to be promoted. Working with organizations who help give back to these households is amazing and important but romanticizing hunger, gawking over "cute" starving faces, and facetuning their poverty comes at an expense of their privacy. We want these kids to trust us, respect us, and see our love. We don't do this by exploiting them. We have reached a point that we are comfortable pushing their poverty on our thousands of followers. Their parents could be working multiple jobs, battling an illness, or are suffering a loss. We don't know what situation brought these kids to these circumstances, but no one plans to live impoverished. These people are trying their best and do not deserve to be blasted all over a college girl's Instagram with ugg boots and Louis purse and $50 filters. It's not fair to these families. This is embarrassing.
As a society, we have to do better. We cannot continue this cycle of exploitation. If you want to promote your cause, your passion, your involvement, please do so, but do it better. Write about your experience. Post pictures with volunteers. Celebrate the event online. Don't show faces. This is private and deserves your respect and consideration. I hope that as social media continues to evolve, we learn when it's appropriate to share certain parts of life. Our generation does so much for those around us. We are involved. We are powerful. Giving and loving. We just have to keep the main thing the main thing and forget the aesthetic, forget the need to share everything, and remember who this is affecting.
It's the time to stop publicizing poverty.
