#YesAllWomen: The Importance of Social Media in the Fight for Equality

(VIA @NARRYNICOTINE)

On Friday May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger went on a rampage on the University of California Santa Barbara campus, where he killed 6 people and wounded 13 more before killing himself.  These reasoning behind the killings was made clear however, by the numerous YouTube videos and a 137-page manifesto he left behind detailing his grievances. He made it extremely clear that he was so angry because he was tired of being rejected by women. Soon after more details were made public about the reasoning behind his actions, many men took to the social media site Twitter to take a stand. With a hashtag trending worldwide called “#NotAllMen,” they tried to defend themselves saying not all men thought like the killer, and it would be unfair to judge every man for the actions of a few. While it probably meant well, it was seriously just unnecessary. In response, the hashtag “#YesAllWomen” formed, arguing that while not every man may be sexual assaulters or abusers, every woman is affected by sexism and faced with assault or abuse at some point in their life. The emergence of social media as a platform for social issues is relatively new, but that doesn’t make it less important. For feminists like many others and myself, using social media can make it easier and more beneficial in the long run by allowing anyone to come forward and share their stories.

One of the major benefits of using Twitter is visibility. It gives people to have their voices heard across the globe, which also means more people are learning from the movement as a result. In fact, within the first four days alone the hashtag had been used on Twitter over 1.2 million times.  By using the hashtag as a frame for its language, the movement was able to create and send a message to hundreds of millions of people across the world. Having to stick to 140 characters or fewer also means that the experiences shared by the women on the hashtag have to be concise yet still jarring enough to warrant a reaction, meaning language is even more important. Having a social movement exist primarily online means the right language has to be implemented to find traction and gain success. The hashtag shows the direct response to the men’s right activists who used #NotAllMen and provides an effective counter to their argument in just as few words.

The movement matters beyond the personal and group level too though. Sharing these experiences in a public way means almost everyone can see it, increasing awareness to those who probably don't have much experience with the issue-in this case, men. It shows them the result of their seemingly innocent actions from the female perspective, and how even if they view their actions as well-intended, society has taught women to be wary of men more than should be (or at least I hope would be) necessary. It helps to shift public opinion about violence toward women and how groups such as men’s right activists can be problematic to society. Even more, it showed men why the hashtag was even important because let's be honest with ourselves, it's hard to feel dedicated to an issue that you think doesn't even affect you. This simple hashtag proves that everyone is affected by misogyny, and men can help combat it just as much as women. 

Honestly though, there are plenty of reasons why it’s unhelpful to say, “Not all men are like that.” Women know not all men are rapists or abusers; it is unnecessary to tell them so. Second, it assumes a defensive position immediately, instead of trying to actually listen to what the other side is trying to say. Third, they are distracting from the actual conversation about violence against women, not about the men who aren’t the problem. Finally, women never know what type of man she is coming into contact with when she meets a stranger, and society has taught her that she has to be prepared for him to be one of the bad ones. As much as it may suck to admit, the facts show that men are the most likely group to commit a mass killing. It takes the conversation away from what should be done to change how men view women and instead focuses on why women view men as predators. By changing the dialogue, the movement shows how the hashtag can be just as important as the message behind it.

VIA LOUIS CK/@REALADAMROSE

Realistically, we can’t stop every Elliot Rodger who decides to take such violent and horrific measures because at the end of the day, that deals more with mental illness, but that’s a whole other story. What we can do however is start (and continue) a meaningful discussion about the effect such actions can have on women and on society as a whole. He showed the world how intense these reactions can be, and hopefully we can learn from him about how to change how we see our society and ourselves.