BLACKOUT DAY ON FACEBOOK: THE MISUNDERSTOOD MOVEMENT AGAINST ALCOHOL ABUSE AND VIOLENCE TOWARDS WOMEN

This morning I received what could be regarded as a "Facebook Spam Mail" asking women to black out their photos and go silent for 24 hours on Sept. 30 to highlight what the world may look without women. Without a moment of hesitation, I blacked out my photo.

Here's why I'm doing it.

Vanuatu Independent

"Tomorrow, female blackout from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Its a movement to show what the world might be like without women. Your profile photo should just be a black square so that men wonder where the women are. Pass it only to women ... It's for a project against domestic abuse. It is no joke. Share it."

Kapin (2018) wrote to Forbes that this blackout is "It’s spam and the equivalent of chain mail. If you research its origin you will quickly see there is no official group or organization behind it." The simple fact that there are some people who want to spread awareness towards alcohol's role in abuse is enough for me to stand behind this cause. She continues on that if women really want to do something about it they can contact "Members of Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act".

...So how many women do you think are going to do that?

Every day we've had these options available to us, yet when someone makes a different decision for the same cause, a writer on Forbes straight slaps them down. Kapin's disingenuous remarks raises questions in all directions whether as females we should proactively protest in silence, or passively accept these issues without change. It is not the same thing.

Throughout this morning I've come across countless females across the net exclaiming that participating by blacking out their photo for one day, is the opposite of what they want to do. Either not serving a purpose, or that there should be one for men, among other excuses preventing them from outcasting themselves and helping to create awareness for others.

_{A friend's suggestion without a follow up}

My picture stays blacked out until tomorrow.

In a flashmob style, my changed profile pic and lack of posts today will be noticed by at least some of my 4000 + Facebook friends that something is wrong and that they may want to look into this.

Hepola (2018) wrote to The New York Times in Kavanaugh and the Blackout Theory describing that; "The act of blacking out, a temporary, alcohol-induced state in which you can remain functional and conversational, but later you will have no memory of what you did, almost as though your brain failed to hit the “record” button."

BT.com

Does not remembering your night of being intoxicated excuse you from any wrongdoings done? While I may agree that gender should not be discriminated against when it comes to abuse, alcohol does play a role when having a night on the town with some friends, and the safety of yourself and those around you.

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Making a Difference is More Than a Photo

Of everyone I know on Facebook, I have seen two other people who have changed their profile pictures in this event. One, is a close male friend of mine living in New Jersey who regularly writes posts in acceptance of gender, sexual orientation, and race. He asked me to weigh in on this as he was debating on changing his photo back.

I explained that while many will brush it off, having a good social media influence will have some people stop and think. Realistically, most are too lazy to do anything about these issues on a larger scale. Changing your photo for a day is not difficult thing to do, and sends a message that although not everyone cares or can be bothered, that this type of thing is at least important to you. We may not be rioting in the streets, but it's enough to get the ball rolling.

Carol Howe

The victims here are not only those on the receiving end of abuse, but also those who drink to escape a prison that they feel their lives have become. While fighting for a cause may fine and dandy, there should also be preventative education, and proactive approaches towards helping those get the help they need, long before it devolves into acts of violence for anyone.

The true question that sits with me today is; "What can I do, not only as a woman, but as a friend and colleague to help be there for others so that drinking to forget is no longer the only way out?"

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Hepola, S. (2018, September 29). Kavanaugh and the Blackout Theory. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/29/opinion/sunday/brett-kavanaugh-drinking-blackouts.html

Kapin, A. (2018, September 30). The "Female Blackout" Is Spam And Erases Women. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/allysonkapin/2018/09/30/the-female-blackout-is-spam-and-erases-women/#54e81b855da6