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Social Media Change

In 2018 I began work for Americorps here in Denver. When I began I was opened to this change in society social media and the work place that involved binary and non binary gender identities. I have also heard this called "non conforming". I still have little knowledge of this, but I have done my best to be opened to learning about it since it was introduced to me through work. In trainings we had to watch various videos on what binary and non binary means, and how to identify ourselves. For example, I would identify as she/her/hers. This has been my identification since birth and my feelings towards my gender have always been belonging I believe. I felt in place with my body and what society calls it. I wish I understood how many people felt differently, earlier. 

Upon researching, I found a New York Times article published in 2018, titled "On Instagram Seeing Gender Between the Gender Lines". It discussed the way that social media actually played a positive role in people's lives that felt isolated or lost while dealing with their non binary identification. "In 2014 Facebook updated its site to include nonbinary gender iidentities and pronouns adding more than 50 options for users who identify as male, female, a gender, gender questioning, intersex." This was the start according to the article.  Helena Darwin, a sociologist also did research that same year and said "They turned to the site to understand that they aren't alone." This in regards to Instagram. The Times article did include the unfortunate hostility that comes along with social media for almost all of us, especially those of us that are easily put into pools of being different. However, I am hopeful for this change. I want it to keep moving and being more inclusive. It is nice to see that social media is positively impacting people in a serious way. 

Comments

  1. SBartonArtFilmJuly 30, 2019 at 12:16 PM

    Thank you for bringing something inspiring and positive to the social media conversation. Sometimes it feels like all bad and malicious, all the time!

    ReplyDelete

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