Do more than change your Facebook pic to French flag
Paste BN columnist Steven Petrow offers advice about living in the Digital Age.
Last Friday night as I watched the death count in the Paris bombings creep up from 60, then to 100, finally to more than 120 – with even more critically injured – I sat paralyzed. “What is this world coming to?” I asked myself rhetorically, as I’ve done too often in recent years. My first response was to text my friends in Paris to get a status check; they were okay. Thank god.
But then what could I do? I saw that Facebook had engineered a filter to overlay the French tri-color on my profile photo. I hesitated for a few minutes, wondering what import it might have. Then, I clicked on the link and my smiling face was superimposed by the French flag. Millions of other users did the same within a day or so. I didn’t think it was an empty gesture, nor did I fool myself into thinking it was an actionable one.
Dozens and dozens of my friends “liked” my new profile photo and I went out of my way to like theirs, too. Again, with so few options, liking felt as though I was doing something.
Soon enough the critics and naysayers started to condemn those like me. On Salon, Paula Young Lee wrote: “[I] t is an empty signifier of sympathy that rings hollow in the face of ongoing and very real threats of violence erupting around a world that now includes our backyards.” A Paste BN College contributor blogged, posting: "If you want to make a difference in the face of attacks like these, if you want to be a politically and socially active global citizen, it doesn’t start with a Twitter rant [or a Facebook photo].”
Others suggested it was narcissism. Lazy activism, now called “slacktivisim.” And so on.
When I asked on Facebook what people thought, several echoed those writers.
— “Social media has made it too easy to change a profile photo or "like" someone else's posting and feel like you have done something.”
Others asked pointedly why Facebook hadn’t offered a filter “in the colours of the Lebanese flag?” when, yes, there are daily killings in Beirut.
— “Why are the French worth your ‘bare minimum’ effort but others get no mention at all?"
Still, most posters defended their decision to adopt the photo filter:
— “It is a sign of solidarity. It doesn't represent how much or how little people do.”
— “There is a place in this world for symbolic public gestures. It's a way of letting both the French and ISIS, which is a heavy user of social media — know that we support the French people and that ISIS hasn't cowed us into supporting them.”
But what struck me were the putdowns intended for those who had changed their profile photos, especially as if doing that precluded other actions.
— “What I find more telling and inappropriate is the incessant finger-wagging of people who try to tell others ‘you are doing it wrong.’ There is no wrong, unless you are being negative and superior.”
— “There are people who seem to thrive on shaming other people for expressing concern in social media in ways that are ‘not enough.’ I am not one of them. Recognizing and celebrating positive intent is important.”
I decided to ask some of my French friends what they thought. Here’s what I heard back:
— “I thought it was a heartwarming show of solidarity. Just as the French showed the U.S. after 9/11. Our two countries are inextricably linked, and always will be.”
— “It has warmed up so many hearts and souls to see this ephemeral change. Thank you all for showing your compassion towards those directly touched by this. Du fond du coeur, merci!” (Translation: From the bottom of my heart, thank you).
So, here’s where I net out: Changing your profile does not, should not, diminish your ability to do more, whether in public or private. At difficult times like these both awareness and solidarity matter.
THE TAKEAWAY
Whether or not you’ve changed your Facebook avatar (or tweeted using the hash tag #parisattacks), here are some tangible things you can do to help Parisians right now:
— Donate to the French Red Cross, which has deployed volunteers throughout Paris. Or to these two well-regarded agencies: Secours populaire française and Cecours Catholique-Caritas France.
— For those living in Paris, consider designating your home or flat as a “safe space,” and list it through Airbnb.
— If you’re in Paris or plan to be soon, consider giving blood. Click here to learn more.
— Already have a trip planned for Paris or France? Don’t cancel it since terrorism by design is about instilling fear. In fact, support the French through your purchases when you can.
At the same time, consider supporting these agencies, which help Syrian refugees and families: The UN Refugee Agency, Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, Unicef, and the International Rescue Committee.
What’s been your response to the Paris attacks? Did you change your Facebook profile photo?
Submit your question to Steven at stevenpetrow@earthlink.net. You can also follow Steven on Twitter: @StevenPetrow. Or like him on Facebook at facebook.com/stevenpetrow.