#NotMeAnymore
There is a new message circulating on Facebook in response to the mounting Weinstein sexual harassment case: “Me too.” The directions are for any woman who has dealt with sexual harassment to post “Me Too” on their own Facebook page.
I understand the sentiment. The large magnitude of women who have dealt with sexual abuse is powerful. But while #MeToo might be an effective way to draw attention to an issue, does it do enough to evoke change? Or is it giving more power to those who use intimidation to gain control?
Emotional hacks deserve no emotions back
Sexual harassment is an intentionally emotional attack, but it doesn’t deserve an emotional response. Social media is steadily gaining a reputation as a device used by people who seek power to manipulate human behavior. A key example of this is a New York Times article that was released earlier this month, titled “How Russia Harvested American Rage to Reshape U.S. Politics.”
Russian hackers used content written by Americans to create groups with titles like “Blacktivist” and “Secured Borders.” According to the Times, a review of thousands of posts concluded that “one of the most powerful weapons that Russian agents used to reshape American politics was the anger, passion and misinformation that real Americans were broadcasting across social media platforms.”
Sexual harassment is a serious problem and one that needs to be addressed, but it is not dissimilar from other tactics that people who seek power use to diminish a threat. Defining a person by their body, color, race, ethnicity, sexuality or disability are all dehumanizing.
These are not the same issues, but they are all forms of emotional manipulation. And if the intent of people who harass others is to trigger an emotional response, emotions are the last thing we should be responding with.
How about #NotMeAnymore, instead?
Change takes time. And persistence. #MeToo might have earned an audience, but we need more than a platform to share on— we need a plan of action. I’m not saying “not me.” I’m saying, #NotMeAnymore.
In a 2015 memo, Lauren O’Connor, a former Weinstein employee stated: "I am a 28 year old woman trying to make a living and a career. Harvey Weinstein is a 64 year old, world famous man and this is his company. The balance of power is me: 0, Harvey Weinstein: 10."
But Weinstein wasn’t always a world famous man and owner of his own company. He was once a nobody who put in enough work and enough time to build something that other people wanted to be a part of.
A challenge to change things
I propose a new post. A challenge. As a woman, a man, a minority, a person who craves change — what is one thing that you can do to initiate actual change?
Create your own media companies where workers will be respected and rewarded for their skills and talents. Create your own tech start-ups or organizations that challenge current policies. Be strategic, be focused, be defiant. Change the conversation in media with research, science, and well thought out news pieces. And when someone tries to make you feel small for doing it, acknowledge that as a hint that you are on the right path. Because a person that is not a threat is not worth tearing down.
This cannot be about feelings or emotions. We won’t win any arguments that way. We can use feelings as fuel to work harder, study harder, be smarter and fight more strategically — but not as a response.
It doesn’t have to be you, too.
#NotMeAnymore
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